Divine Intervention
by Liena
Summary: A threat to the safety of an already weakened Pride forces the guardian Goddesses to send princess Arina into a new world she may not be able to handle. But when all is said and done, will she want to return to the Pride Lands?
1. The Wise Council of Kings

"The first matrons of the Pride were granted immortality and became the Seven Gaia Goddesses – The Goddess of Fire, The Goddess of Water, the Goddess of the Ice, the Goddess of Earth, the Goddess of Wind, the Goddess of Light, and the Goddess of Shadows. Their husbands are now the Wise Council of Kings, and together the King and the Goddess are referred to as the Pair of their element. Each Goddess walks on her hind legs and all carry staffs almost identical, save coloring and decoration.

The Goddesses appear only when the Pride is in danger, and no time in memory has it happened. The Wise Council of Kings often gathers with the king of the Pride in a secret place where seven stones in a circle are colored the shade of the respective Pair. It is said that when a meeting is called between the Pairs and the king, the danger to the Pride is greater than assumed…"

Simba looked at the cubs and, noting their boredom, managed a weak smile and put his head down, quietly dismissing them so he could rest in peace. His body had grayed with age and he couldn't walk much anymore; it was after Nala had died that he finally passed the crown to Kiara and Kovu.

Already, their oldest daughter was nearly an adult. She looked like Kiara, with golden fur and a creamy underbelly, but she had the acid green eyes of Scar. She had the curiosity and stubbornness of her mother, but she was gentle-hearted and loving like Nala and Sarabi. They named her Arina after the Goddess of Light.

She was slated to marry Vitani's son, roughly the same age. Although Simba had bred with her, Maten mainly had the traits of Zira and Scar. He had the same lanky body as Scar but the power and mind of Zira. He was smart and wickedly cunning, despite the soft blue eyes he inherited from his mother. His fur was a dark brown, but the beginnings of his mane were a light brown. Simba was nervous about leaving the Pride in Maten's claws, but he loved his granddaughter Arina and hoped she would grow strong enough to counter the cub's wicked ways.

The rest of the cubs were the age he had been when he lost Mufasa; some had his traits, some would grow up to look like Mufasa, and some had the look of the Outlanders. The Pride had become much more diverse since he had accepted the Outlanders into the family. And it wasn't a bad thing, but in the case of Maten it may have been.

He closed his eyes with a soft sigh, allowing himself to sink into the world of dreams.

He was young again, a king worthy of the throne, and his beautiful queen was besides him. They were walking through a dark forest that he had never been through, and yet he knew the path he was on. A mist began to grow around him, and he felt the presence of other entities. They continued to walk without fear; Simba knew these strange forces. They had visited him many times in his slumber, delivering cryptic messages about the future.

The outline of a powerful figure was apparent as they approached the clearing. Simba and Nala both dipped into a bow, the formers' voice speaking out quietly.

"Mufasa."

Mufasa looked over his son, his mighty eyes furrowed into a frown. His deep voice rumbled out as he turned and led them to the Circle of Kings.

"I am proud of you, my son."

Simba didn't respond to the compliment, instead looking down. He knew the silent reprimands behind that statement. But it still was a compliment. Mufasa took his place next to a deep green stone, and Simba and Nala sat in front of the semicircle. From Mufasa, the order of the stones went as such: deep green, silver, white, black, blue, red, light blue. Across from Mufasa, his queen came out of the shadows to sit next to the blue stone there.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours before the forest lightened. The rocks began to glow faintly, and above each the outline of a huge male lion became visible. The Shadow King came first. He was black with deep blue eyes, and silver markings made his face distinguished against the darkness behind him. Next to him, a white lion with billowing wings and silver eyes appeared over his stone, the Light King. The Fire King, a golden lion with a fiery red mane, a red, orange, and yellow tail brush, and blood red eyes, came just before the blind Wind King, a white lion with silver and black markings across his body. The Water King looked similar to Scar, save a gentler face, bright blue eyes, and what looked like a fin at the end of his tail instead of a brush. The Ice King was a pale blue lion with a white mane and icy eyes, and the Earth King came last; a brown lion with a lighter brown mane and mellow brown eyes.

The Shadow King looked to the other Kings before he addressed their guests.

"Welcome to the Circle of Kings, Mufasa and Simba, and to your queens."

Simba bowed his head, reciting the appropriate response.

"I am honored to be among the most ancient and greatest Kings the Pride has known. Why have I been summoned before you?"

The blind lion turned in the general direction of the old king, his voice ringing out clearly.

"We wish to discuss with you the safety of our Pride."

"But we're at full strength; especially with the addition of the Outlanders. Kovu is as strong a lion as my father, and my heir has been chosen. Arina, daughter of Kiara and Kovu, set to marry Maten, son of Vitani."

A sharp voice rang out of the darkness.

"And it is on the subject of Maten that we wished to meet with you."

Simba turned quickly and dropped into a bow before the Goddess of Shadows, Liena. She was a powerfully built black lioness with more elegant silver markings than her mate and the same deep blue eyes. She carried a black staff with the skull of a hyena mounted on it; the eyes seemed to glow eternally red. Small bones hung from threads attached under the skull and they rattled against each other when she moved.

Liena brushed past him, taking her place next to the Shadow King. She turned accusingly on Simba, the bones on her staff rattling as she pointed it at him. The hyena's skull seemed to howl under her voice as she growled accusingly.

"Maten will destroy the Pride!"

The statement shocked Simba, but before he could respond another voice, a mellower but still angry one, came from behind the Water King.

"Maten has the traits of the evil ones, not only in body but in spirit. He will follow Scar and Zira down the path of darkness that Kovu so easily turned aside from."

A lioness that looked very much like Sarabi, save her ocean blue eyes, came up next to the Water King. The Goddess of Water, Aime, held in her paw a blue staff with a jagged sapphire on top of it. Inside the sapphire was the illusion of a fish swimming through the waters of the distant ocean, and medium blue lines made the appearance of ripples along the staff. Her tail as well had the fin that the Water King's had. Aime sat cross-legged next to her King, staring into Simba's eyes.

"Maten is the spawn of evil. Vitani carries it within her; she has not yet denied the darkness fully. She was loyal to Zira until Kiara's wisdom convinced her otherwise. She still loves her mother and is still tainted, and this passed on to her son. He was not raised as he should have been, Simba. You loved Arina. He is now bitter, and he shall follow the same path that Scar did."

Simba opened his mouth, but again was interrupted. The Goddess of Fire, Pyrina, was said to be psychic, and her loud voice roared out from behind the Fire King. She looked like the female version of the Fire King, save a more slender body. Her staff was bright red and surrounded always in a glowing flame.

"Your excuses are meaningless before the Council, Simba! You raised Arina to follow in your paw prints, and denied the same love to the son Vitani bore you! Arina may be a princess, but Maten was still a prince! You have not yet forgiven Scar for murdering Mufasa and you still hold that grudge to this day. You hold your son accountable for his death!"

Simba felt all eyes on him; Mufasa, Sarabi, and Nala, too, were staring at him. He shrunk before the wicked eyes, but he knew that more was yet to come. Only Liena, Aime, and Pyrina had shown up. The Council was never complete without the rest.

The Goddess of Ice, Nassai, came up silently behind Simba. Her fur was the same light blue and her eyes were similarly shaded as the Ice King's. Her staff was a light blue and white outlines of snowflakes adorned it. Her voice was as quiet as the dead wastelands as she whispered into his ear, "The line is broken." He tried to hide further as she brushed past him, sitting next to the Ice King.

The Goddess of Light, Arina, and the Goddess of Wind, Yura, appeared at the same time. Arina was a pale golden with silver eyes; her staff had a topaz shaped like a lightning bolt on the top of it and would sometimes emit electricity. Yura had wings as well and was just as blind as her King, but she was the prophet of the Council. What they couldn't decide on she would divine. Yura was silvery white and had no markings. Her staff was silver and a line of white runes went down the center.

Arina and Yura were the gentlest of the Goddesses, the former even offering Simba a reassuring smile before she sat next to the Light King. Yura's sightless eyes focused on Mufasa and she said nothing more.

A long period of silence lapsed before Amber showed up. Amber was a medium brown and her eyes were a piercing gold. She had black markings on her body and her tail brush was gold. She was often looked upon as the highest Goddess, and the 13 deities bowed their heads to her slightly. Amber stepped into the center of her circle, her silvery claws glowing as she looked to Simba. Her staff was brown, and she had the skull of a falcon mounted on the top. The butt of the staff had an eagle's foot, claws outstretched.

Amber's voice was loud and as clear as a bell as she howled out at Simba.

"You have been informed of the events against you, king! Tell us, what do you plan to do about it?"

Simba was silent. He stared at her with horror. He couldn't do anything, he had no more power! He would guide Kovu if he needed advice, yes; but he wasn't a central member of the Pride any longer.

Amber raised a brow at his prolonged silence then suddenly became angry.

"You think you mean nothing to the Pride, king? You are the wisest one there! They will listen to you. And if you do not take action, then to protect our Pride we must. Your course of action is to murder Maten!"

Simba roared out, "NO!" before he leapt angrily into the circle. The enraged eyes of Amber and the rebellious ones of Simba met in a lock. The deities, Mufasa, Sarabi, and Nala were struck dumb with shock. No one had ever gone face to face with a Goddess and openly denied their orders, much less to Amber's.

"I will not be held responsible for the death a member of my family, Amber, not again! Nothing you or the Goddesses or Kings say or do will sway me otherwise!"

The blow was too fast for him to dodge, but the beak of the falcon sank deeply into his shoulder. He roared and spun away, collapsing with pain next to Nala. His queen did not move now, or look at him. She was staring straight ahead into space, assuring Amber of her loyalty. Simba snarled at her and fought back to his paws, only to find Amber's face hovering mere inches from his.

"You will order Maten's death, or we will do it for you."

Simba woke not with a mighty roar but a weak whimper. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, taking in the familiar sight of the cave, the lionesses, Kiara, Kovu, and Arina not far away. He put his head down on his paws and stared into the darkness, sighing. How could he tell Vitani that her son had to be killed?


	2. The Death of the King

The robed figure moved closer, closer, shuffling forwards with a bowed head. In one black paw a long black staff topped with an orb held in place by a holder that looked like a claw; the orb was clear but filled with a black mist. The figure shuffled towards Simba; slowly, slowly, until it stopped just before him. He was older, grayer, and bowed with fatigue, but he was struggling to move away from the black figure.

A slow hiss began to drift through the air, soon becoming a high-pitched hum. The hum was soon a roar, and as the orb shot out and struck Simba on the forehead he let out a mighty roar then fell limp to the ground, his spirit being sucked into the orb. The head of the figure turned quickly after it had trapped Simba in the orb…

Arina woke with a scream of terror and shot backwards away from the wraith, slamming roughly into Maten. Maten jumped with alarm and leapt away from the writhing lioness as she pawed at her head, sobbing with distress. He quickly wrapped his paws around her and murmured into her ear, trying to sooth her.

"Rina, Rina, it's alright, you were dreaming. Calm down, you're okay, you're safe."

Simba watched, heartbroken, as his granddaughter sobbed into the arms of the cub he had been ordered to have killed. With a painful grunt, the old lion hauled himself to his paws and shuffled slowly out of the cave as the rest of the Pride crowded around the princess. The wound he had received from Amber that night was nothing more than a painful memory, but a scar did remain.

Kovu followed Simba as he walked outside, noticing the worry on his face. As Simba collapsed weakly to the shadowed stones, burying his face in his paws, Kovu walked up next to him and stared down at him. When Simba realized Kovu was near him, he picked his head up slowly and stared into the hard eyes of the king.

"Something is wrong with you, Simba. You've been acting weird lately. Don't think I haven't noticed. What's going on?"

Simba buried his face again and Kovu put his head closer to his, listening to his mumbled words.

"The Council of Kings and the Goddesses have charged Maten as a danger to the Pride and have ordered me to have him killed…"

Kovu started and jerked away as if he'd been slapped. He was silent for a long time, shaking his head slowly. Before he could react, Simba suddenly sat up and stared into his eyes.

"Don't mention this to anyone… I would rather face the wrath of all fourteen of them than order Maten's death. I couldn't face Arina or Vitani…"

Arina suddenly barreled out of the cave, followed closely by Maten and the rest of the cubs. All were pale with terror, although Arina looked like she was staring into the face of death. Arina led the way down the side of Pride Rock and to a clump of trees not far away.

The lionesses came out next, bristling and snarling but dodging backwards to avoid contact with whatever was chasing them. A black mist filtered out of the cave, and as it touched the lionesses they fell in their places. Simba and Kovu backed up to the edge of Pride Rock, cowering backwards away from the mist. Simba looked over his shoulder; the drop shouldn't be too bad, and he could probably avoid the jagged rocks…

The mist suddenly stopped and surrounded them. In a blackness where neither lion could see the ends of their whiskers, an outline was visible.

It was a robed figure, shuffling closer and shrouded in darkness. In one black paw, it carried a black staff with an orb at the top held in a metal base that resembled a claw. The orb was clear, yet a black mist floated inside of it. The figures bowed head suddenly raised, and a pair of blood red eyes burned their way into Simba's mind.

The life seemed to seep from his limbs, and try as he might he couldn't rip his eyes away from the figure before him. The staff reached forwards slowly and Simba felt as if he was being held down. A voice echoed through the mists, a voice unusually deep for a female.

"You have disobeyed their orders…"

Simba let out a roar as the orb touched his forehead and then he suddenly fell limp. To Kovu, who could suddenly see what was happening, Simba's body fell to the ground but an illusion of him stood, the orb still touching his forehead. The voice echoed through the mist again.

"It is time for you to face the consequences of your actions."

Kovu watched in terror as Simba's spirit was sucked into the orb, and the mist became golden. The red eyes bore into Kovu's, and he found it hard to twist away.

"Do not make the same mistakes!"

And as suddenly as he had feared death, the lioness stalked back into the shadows with Simba and vanished. The mist faded, leaving a bewildered Kovu trembling next to the body of Simba. For the many hours it would take for the lionesses to come out of their state of unconsciousness and the cubs to work up the courage to return Kovu would remain petrified in place, staring where the hellish red eyes had just been and wondering what vicious a face they had belonged to.


	3. The Princess of Nightmare

Dusk found a gathering of most of the adult lions, and only a few remained out of it to sooth the fears of the cubs and help them fall asleep. Kovu was visibly shaken and Kiara was grieving the loss of her father; the rest of the Pride was shaken after the day's events, but eager to hear what their king had to say.

Kovu opened his mouth, faltered and closed it again, then began to speak quietly.

"Simba… Before Simba was taken, he told me… He said that the Council and the Goddesses have ordered Maten's death because he is a danger to the Pride… Simba told me not to tell and that he would rather face death, and now he's gone…"

Vitani stared at him, stunned, before the words came spilling from her mouth. It was obvious she was fighting to control the volume of her voice.

"'Danger to the pride'? Maten couldn't hurt the fur on your back! He is far less a danger than anyone else here, those of us who followed Zira for so long and so loyally. He is from Simba's loins; he can't be all bad! I…"

Kovu growled quietly at her, his eyes hardening.

"If the Council and the Goddesses demand it then it must be done, Vitani! I don't care if he's my nephew. Their laws control my actions!"

Vitani leapt into the middle of the messy circle, her eyes hovering inches from his. They were both snarling and bristling and anger so pure rang out in Vitani's voice – something that haunted Kovu from his youth.

"You won't touch a hair on his neck, Kovu. I'll fight you to the death to defend him, Kings and Goddesses or not. You will not kill my son!"

Kovu moved a step back from her, the ferocity of Vitani's eyes and twisted snarl reminding him so much of Zira. Vitani had, after all, been raised almost as perfectly as he had been – trained in murder and deception, except her mind was sharpened finer than his was and her courage was as strong as his. He knew that she knew he could snap her like a stick, but he also knew she would still fight him to the death. After an uneasy moment, Kovu spoke quietly into her vengeful eyes.

"The Council's decision holds."

Vitani roared into his face then turned on her heel and fled into the cave. Kovu closed his eyes, his head drooping. That had been one of the most painful moments of his life, and he knew Vitani would never let him forget it. The lionesses didn't move, not knowing the reaction to expect from Kovu. It was several minutes later when he stood, moving slowly past them all.

"Rest, my friends… Tomorrow will be a hard day."

The Pride followed him into the cave, avoiding the tightly curled Vitani. They fell asleep mostly around Kovu and Kiara to protect them from anything the cunning lioness would try during the night.

Vitani and Maten moved slowly and carefully towards the mouth of the cave, neither daring to breathe too deeply or move too quickly. A single sound would wake someone, and Kovu would be able to execute his plan to murder her son. The stars still twinkled in the sky, and Vitani planned to move as far away from Kovu's territory as possible while it was still dark.

They were almost safe when a voice cracked out of the shadows of the cave.

"Princess of nightmare, leave your son behind!"

"Vitani!"

"Maten, run!"

Maten and Vitani broke into a run for the horizon, but Kovu and several lionesses were on their heels. Vitani continued to shout to her son as they raced heedlessly through the plains.

"Keep running, don't look back! Run, run for your life!"

When Maten had pulled ahead of her, Vitani stopped her momentum and turned to face Kovu. In her vision he turned into Simba, filled with the same intolerance and wickedness. She snarled into the ground as he bore down on her.

"Zira, this is for you!"

The two collided, tumbling to the ground in a flurry of claws and growls. Among the chaos Kovu roared to the lionesses moving in to help him, "Get Maten! Kill him, kill him!"

They took off, leaving Kovu and Vitani to their fight. They rolled in the dust, shredding any exposed fur with claws and ripping with teeth. When Kovu finally jumped away, they were both covered in deep scratches. He tried to plead and reason with Vitani as she staggered to her paws, blood dripping from a particularly vicious wound in her side.

"Vitani, please, I don't want to fight you. You're my sister, if not by blood then by bond. Please, don't make me do this…"

She gasped in a deep breath and fought to control her breathing.

"Then… Call them off…Let us leave… In peace…"

"I can't do that, Vitani. They've orde…"

He felt her claws rake down his face and he roared loudly, twisting away from them. Vitani found him again though, her paws wrapping around his neck and her teeth sinking into his fur. Blood poured into her mouth and she began to rake her back claws over his stomach. Kovu roared and fell to the ground, digging deep furrows down her back in an attempt to push her away.

Pain soon overwhelmed Vitani and she fell away from him, writhing on the ground in agony. Kovu leapt on her before she could recover, his giant jaws closing around her neck. He closed his eyes tightly as she crushed her throat, ignoring the claws raking down his side as she fought to breathe. As her struggle became more desperate, tears rolled down his cheeks.

Their eyes met for a final time, hers filled with fear and pain and his with sadness. She finally fell limp and her eyes closed, head lolling to the side. Kovu released her throat with a loud cry and fell to the ground, falling unconscious as agony surged through his body and his blood formed a puddle under his paws.

They were all there… Scar, Zira, and Nuka. Zira was bowed over her fallen daughter and even Nuka and Scar stood silently, respectfully. Not a word passed between the five of them. Kovu stared silently as Vitani stood slowly, but only her spirit; her body remained, bloody and torn, where it lay. Zira embraced the transparent form of her daughter, apparently appeased at her betrayal at the battle by her final sacrifice in her mother's name.

Scar was staring hard at Kovu, filled with an emotion that Kovu would only identify as disappointment. Zira glared over her shoulder at him then brushed past Vitani, joining the two males. Vitani stared hard at her brother, her blue eyes making him uncomfortable and even guiltier before she turned away and joined her family. The four vanished and Kovu was left alone in the darkness, his voice quiet as he whispered after them.

"Vitani… I'm so sorry…"


	4. Princess Vitani and King Kovu

Mufasa again was the delegate waiting for Kovu as he responded to his summons to appear before the Council. He still didn't know if he was alive or dead, and he had no way of telling how long he'd been stuck in this limbo. He was assured the Kings would tell him everything, but he still wondered if he would see Kiara or Arina again in life. 

"Welcome to the Council's Forest, Kovu. You will be here many more times before you ascend to the stars."

Kovu breathed a soft sigh of relief, walking up to Mufasa. _I'm not dead…_

Mufasa smiled to the young king.

"I am the escort for the Kings. Sarabi and I have become their attendants."

Kovu didn't dare ask about Simba's fate, but it was again something he was sure he'd discover at the Council. He followed Mufasa into the dark forest, listening for the rustling of leaves and twigs as his guide when he could no longer see. The darkness was something unnatural, and when he asked about it Mufasa was explained.

"The Goddesses are appointing a new deity for Death, and to make her sacred it must be done in darkness. The Princess of Nightmare, she is to become."

Kovu gasped out, "Vitani?"

Mufasa nodded. "Yes. The Goddesses, although upset with her intentions to put the Pride in danger, were impressed and touched by her ultimate sacrifice to protect her son. However, they acknowledge that she is wicked at heart, so it is a mixed blessing for your sister. A Princess yes, but not a being with more power than required to do her appointed tasks."

A howl of pain reached his ears, and suddenly the forest lightened. Kovu tried to rush forwards to see Vitani, but Mufasa halted his charge with an outstretched paw.

"It would be wise not to make your first appearance before the Council a bad one, Kovu."

Reluctantly, he held back and fell into step behind Mufasa again. When he came to the semicircle, the Pairs were seated comfortably on their stones. Before them two robed figures kneeled deeply – Death and Vitani. A pain filled Kovu and he averted his eyes, lowering his head. _She died young, and it's my fault… She'll never forgive me._

He sat where Mufasa indicated, and after the two robed figures stood his eyes met the familiar blue glow of Vitani's. Neither spoke a word, and soon Death and Vitani vanished. Mufasa took his place next to Amber and Sarabi was already seated next to Aime. The Shadow King looked to Kovu, speaking quietly.

"We welcome you to the Circle of Kings, Kovu. You will be summoned here often during your reign to come before us."

Kovu nodded slowly, not sure how to respond. This was as if they were officially marking him the king of the Pride, and he was somewhat humbled at this thought. He was also distraught over Vitani's death and could not find the words to express a fake emotion.

Pyrina jumped off her stone and strode boldly to his face, staring into his eyes. He met her gaze fearlessly and after a moment she smiled and laughed, something rare for her to do.

"You are indeed the rightful king for the Pride, Kovu! You are sensible and caring."

"I will make that judgment, Pyrina."

Pyrina returned to the stone and Amber stood up slowly, walking in front of Kovu. Again, his eyes met hers with no fear. She studied him for long moments before she spoke flatly.

"Maten escaped. The lionesses you sent to chase him are all dead now."

Kovu started, his mouth falling open.

"But… They were some of the best hunters in the Pride. How could…"

Amber roared into his face.

"I told you to kill him! He has met up with Saga, and Saga brings a greater danger to your Pride than anything we can imagine. Ruthless hunters and merciless killers they call humans!"

Kovu looked down, almost shame-faced. Amber remained silent for long moments before she turned to the others.

"They have the power to wipe out the Pride in minutes. They carry strange weapons and come in a pack. I…"

"Hush…"

Yura's head was bowed and her eyes closed, but her voice rang out in the sudden quiet. Yura rarely spoke, and when she did it was obviously something important.

"The humans carry weapons which breathe fire and stone. The spirits tell me they are called guns. They ride on strange animals and can outrun a cheetah in them. They kill with no discrepancy; males and females, young and old alike fall before them."

Aime spoke up as Kovu's form began to vanish, a sign his body was being woken from unconsciousness.

"Amber, I would like to suggest an idea involving Arina…"


	5. Maten and Saga

Maten remained cowering behind the large stone he had hidden behind while the strange lion killed those who had been following him. His body shook as he cried; Vitani hadn't made it; he was sure Kovu had killed her. He listened to the pained howls from the lionesses as they died, and then suddenly silence.

The lion dove around the corner suddenly, laughing wildly as he dripped the blood of the slain off his body. Maten cowered back at the fearsome sight. He was huge, bigger than Kovu, and his body was a pale yellow all over except for his lower jaw and under his chin, which was black. His mane was black, as was the brush of his tail, and his bloodshot brown eyes glowed crazily. He stalked to the cub and sat down in front of him.

"Looked like you were in trouble, couldn't leave you alone! Name's Saga!"

Maten's voice cracked.

"M-My n-name is Maten…"

"Maten? And who was chasing you?"

"M-Members of my Pride…"

Saga looked sad for a moment before he chuckled again and stretched out in the grass, growling with pleasure as he rolled on the dawn-kissed grass. Maten started to move slowly away from the crazed lion, when he suddenly flipped to his paws and beckoned the cub to him.

"I'm sure you've got a story, eh? Well, I do too! I'll tell you the life of Saga! I was born right after my dad died, and my mom took over the Pride with the help of my older brother. Well, I killed him a couple months back after my mother died and took over the pride. A short time ago, a group of furless apes walking on hind legs came to us and started to shoot at us like mad, making sounds I didn't understand. Whole Pride died, but I escaped with one of the things they were shooting lodged in my skull. Drives me mad with pain sometimes, it does!

I think they're still chasing after me, but no matter! I'll give 'em the slip eventually. Here, sonny boy, climb onto my back. I'll find this Pride of yours and repay them!"

Maten's eyes suddenly became bright at the thought of having this stranger murder Kovu for killing his mother. He jumped eagerly to his back and Saga surged to his paws as if Maten weighed nothing, moving back around the rock and in the direction Maten had come from.

Maten looked at the dead lionesses sprawled on the ground, shredded and covered in blood. He snarled at their bodies, which caused Saga to laugh again.

"You're a good kid! How about we go off on our own? Take one of the lionesses from your pride and start one of our own!"

Maten grinned and nodded.

"Let's."

Saga picked up a surprisingly fast pace as the sun rose and Maten simply bounced along for the ride, stewing in his own anger. Kovu… He would curse that name for his entire life, even after he slashed his life away to revenge Vitani's death. A flicker of hope suddenly welled within him. Maybe Kovu hadn't killed her, maybe she evaded him and was going to make her way around and look for him. Maybe… Maybe…

He drifted into sleep, still clinging to the powerful back of Saga. The crazed lion looked over his shoulder and smiled a little at the lanky cub, slowing his pace some. His eyes had cleared as the insane pain receded, and now clear thought rushed through his mind.

He remembered his childhood and his mother. She was a light brown and had a white underbelly; such a sweet lionesses she had been. His sister, Trava, looked very similar to him save the diamond of black over her right eye. He was just Maten's age, Trava was barely younger, and his brother Raevn was his mother's son in color and attitude. He was a good father figure in Sekun's absence, but he desired power. He craved it, and Saga's mother would often lament quietly that Saga was not older.

He flashed to the final day of his pride's life. Raevn was dead, his mother was dead, and now he led the pride. Saga's mate, a reddish-brown green eyed lioness Char, was pregnant with his cubs. He was the proudest father that could be imagined. Trava was sitting next to him as Char rested on the grass. Saga looked at her and flashed the charming smile he used to win the elusive Char over. He was still handsome back then, with mellow brown eyes and a handsome mane, his fur glowed in the moonlight, and he didn't have a violent bone in his body. He had only killed Raevn because he had tried to rape Char, and when Saga jumped in to defend her Raevn attacked. It had really been self defense that had murdered his handsome brother, but regardless of the past the pride was peaceful now.

Saga gritted his teeth and jerked his head around, refusing to let himself sink deeper into the memory. The final vision of his chosen mate and sister near him was enough. He sobbed out quietly, pausing by the watering hole. His body trembled as he stood with his nose just brushing the ground, his cracked voice lamenting to the morning air.

"Char… Trava…"

In this moment of sanity Maten woke suddenly, as if Saga's halted movement woke him. He blinked and jumped off the mighty lion's back, looking into the tearful face. Saga turned from him with a growl and collapsed at the edge of the waters, pleading quietly.

"Leave me."

Maten slunk off quietly after he watched Saga's body tremble. The lion had spoken so casually about all the death when his eyes were strange, but now he seemed saner than Maten imagined.

He wandered aimlessly but didn't go too far in case Saga regained s… _in_sanity. He was gazing across the lands when he saw a strange shape not too far off. His heart sank and he ran forwards, dreading what he would find.

Vitani's body lay where Kovu had murdered it. Maten fell limply to her side, brushing her bangs slowly from her closed eyes. His eyes swelled with tears and he screamed into the empty plain, burying his face into her shredded neck. His tears mingled with her drying blood. It was while his face was streaked in her redness that he growled under his breath into her torn skin.

"I swear on your life, mother, I swear I will murder Kovu. I will avenge your death, I swear…!" His voice trailed off into a loud wail and he held her body tightly. It was after several minutes a giant paw wrapped itself around him and held him close to a leg like a tree trunk. Maten buried his face into Saga's leg, ashamed of himself. Saga smiled down at the small lion and stroked the beginnings of the light brown mane to sooth him.

"I know how it is, Maten, to lose someone close to you. It's okay to cry, I still do. My wife and unborn cubs were taken from me, as was the rest of my pride. I returned after I'd been chased away with their burning stone in my skull… They…" He shook his head and gathered Maten into one giant paw, helping him onto his back.

"I will take you home, young Maten. Rethink your course of action. Whatever you choose, I will help you with it. I won't leave you alone."

Maten clung to Saga's huge back, his thoughts still burning for revenge. His deep desire was to sink his claws into Kovu's skin, to pierce his heart and rip it out, feel the blood spraying over his face. But for now he simply grieved.


	6. Arina and Aime

Kovu woke slowly, grunting and growling with pain. He felt a warm tongue on his cheek and blinked awake, flinching from the light. Another shadow fell over his face, shielding him from the light. He looked up at Kiara and Arina, the former managing a small smile. He could see mostly betrayal but some relief in Arina's eyes and he turned his gaze away, slowly closing his eyes.

_Maten survived… Who is Saga? And what is a human?_

Kovu struggled to his paws despite Kiara's pleas for him not to. With a painful limp he went to the tip of Pride Rock and scanned the sunny lands, sitting down. Kiara came up next to him, staring nervously into his eyes.

"Kovu?"

Kovu looked at her, the pain in his eyes tearing her to the core. His voice slid quietly out of his mouth.

"I'm responsible for many deaths, Kiara… The lionesses I sent to kill Maten were murdered, and Vitani…"

He trailed off painfully and looked away, not knowing if he should tell her Vitani's new position. Kiara butt into his thoughts quickly.

"What about Maten?"

"I don't know."

Arina watched the small exchange from the shadows of the cave, fighting back the tears that threatened to slide from her acid green eyes down her face. Maten had always been there for her, it wasn't fair that now Kovu was trying to kill him! And for no good reason, from the best she knew.

Arina snuck quietly out of the cave and down the side of Pride Rock, careful not to knock any loose stones. When she guessed she was safely out of the vision of her parents she ran as fast as she could, not knowing exactly in which direction she was going but going in it anyway. Tragedy in such a huge scale had never been a part of her life before. True, the death of Sarabi shortly after her birth and the later death of her mother had been tragic, but never in her life had the pride lost multiple lionesses and the prince all in one day.

When she finally stopped running, she found herself near an odd watering pool that seemed to be devoid of life. It was surrounded by stones and lush green grass, and the water looked crystal clear. And inviting. She slunk forwards slowly, listening carefully for any sound at all, her acid green eyes flashing from side to side. When she was within a leap of the water and assured nothing bad was going to happen, she leapt forwards eagerly and splashed into the shadow end of the pool. When the ripples from her lapping stopped, she stared at her reflection.

And found Sarabi staring at her.

Arina leapt back with a cry of alarm, but suddenly the stones were boulders hemming her in on all sides. Aime was crouching on the surface of the water, the fish swimming in the sapphire on her staff, ocean-blue eyes staring intently at the lioness. Arina didn't know whether she should bow or run. The goddess smiled at her, standing up and walking over the water as if it were solid ground. Arina noticed with curiosity she looked almost sad.

"Princess, the debate was long and the decision hard, but the Council has called upon you to save the Pride."

Arina was somewhat confused but she nodded slowly. Aime's fish tail created ripples in the water as she walked gracefully atop the surface. When she reached solid ground she paused and stared hard at Arina. Arina backed into the stones, pressing against them. She suddenly didn't feel up to the task.

She heard a shuffle above her and looked up, seeing Amber kneeling on one of the rocks and standing above her, Yura off to her left. Arina looked at Aime again.

"What do I have to do?"

No response came; Aime was now standing up, eyes closed, face lifted towards the sky. The three Goddesses were chanting quietly, words that were strange to Arina's ears. She began to feel dizzy and her legs gave out, landing with a light thump. She cried out weakly, "What are you doing to me?" before she fell into blissful unconsciousness.


	7. Lost Heirs

Hours after Maten had fallen asleep on his back Saga had caught sight of Pride Rock. It reared majestically into the afternoon sky, a gray silhouette against the clear blue sky. It was a sight that made him wonder if he should banish anyone loyal to Simba and claim the mighty throne for himself.

He was coming up to a watering hole when Maten suddenly woke up, falling off his back with an _oomph_. He recovered in a second and scrambled to his feet, his fur bristling as his head darted around. Saga looked back at him and raised a brow, but before he could question the cub a voice growled from the plains.

"Maten, you spawn of nightmares, why don't you just die?"

Saga noticed a dark lion with a black mane approaching him, flanked by several lionesses. Maten snarled and tried to dive for the hated Kovu, but Saga quickly intervened. Kovu paused stared at the huge lion, remembering the words of the Council regarding a certain Saga. He spoke with deathly quiet to the impressive lion easily pinning the furiously struggling Maten beneath a single paw.

"Who are you?"

"Saga, King of the Kuborn Pride."

One of the lionesses spoke up, the pretty one standing immediately next to the dark lion. Saga noticed similarities between this pretty lioness and his Char.

"But the birds said the Kuborn pride was wiped out…"

"Saga, you cannot stay. Leave now."

Saga's eyes narrowed dangerously, his lips rising into a snarl.

"I didn't come here to banter words with you, kid. I've come to speak with the King of the Pride Lands, the son of Mufasa."

"Simba's dead, Saga. I _am_ the King. And I'm telling you to leave."

Saga roared with laughter in the face of the demand.

"You? I would have thought the son of someone from…"

"Arina, where's Arina?"

Maten's frantic cry cut Saga off. Saga glanced down at Maten, repeating the name slowly under his breath.

"Arina?"

Maten twisted painfully out from Saga's paw and struggled to his feet, staring the king in the eyes.

"Where's Arina, Kovu?"

Kovu snarled at Maten but didn't answer, turning his eyes stubbornly away. Kiara moved slowly towards Maten. She focused solely on him, not the look Saga was giving her or the warning growl Kovu was sounding. Maten shook with anger but didn't lash out at her. The tears in her eyes as she walked towards him stopped his vengeful claws from raking across her beautiful face.

"Maten…"

Saga perked up at the sound of her voice, a move which Kovu noticed. He growled in the rogue's general direction, but Saga only flashed a smile. Kiara glanced over at him then back at Maten, her voice cracking.

"Maten, please tell me you know where my daughter is…"

He stared at her, the rage in his eyes quickly giving way to fear.

"Kiara, what are you saying?"

"What do you think she's saying?"

Kovu's voice was shaking as well as he snapped angrily at Maten. Maten stared at him, beginning to rethink his plans of having Saga murder him. At least not yet; Kovu was suffering enough as it was, and death would only promote peace in his soul. Maten lowered his head some, staring levelly at Kovu. If Saga trained him to be a killer, he would be able to kill Kovu himself – a much more horrible end, he thought, to be killed by the prince instead of the rogue. He turned to leave, but didn't break his eyes from Kovu's.

Kovu couldn't bear to look into his blue eyes, eyes that were as accusing as if he was looking at Vitani. His tough front faded and he turned his head away, closing his eyes. He would never forgive himself, but he didn't need Maten's eyes reminding him of that. Maten moved up to Saga, who ruffled his small mane before standing. He cast a final glance at Kiara, who quickly moved back to Kovu's side and avoided his eyes as her king did, before he turned to leave.

The white eyes… He froze, staring at the white eyes moving quickly towards them. They were like small suns, bringing to light a memory he wished to forget. A cloud of dust rose behind the box-like animal. Maten blinked curiously, moving forwards as if to meet the thing.

"What's…"

"Run, Maten, run!"

Saga's roar deafened the cub, but the giant frame slammed into him and forced him to the ground. He struggled to his feet and rushed after Saga, terrified at the look of fear in the huge lion's bloodshot eyes. A sound like thunder roared out behind them and Maten heard the cries of his pride as they turned and ran. He turned to see if Kiara was okay, but Saga roared again.

"Don't stop, you fool, run!"

Maten hesitated, but the thunder roared out again. A stinging pain erupted from his ear, but he didn't stop to inspect the pain. He ran because he knew his life depended on it, and the throbbing agony from his ear only spurred him faster.

The jeep rolled to a stop just in front of the lioness the bullet had hit. The oldest of the men, balancing on the passenger seat with the rifle in his hand, jumped out and inspected the wound before muttering to himself as he wrote brief information in a small journal.

"Clean shot 'twixt the eyes." After replacing the journal in an oversized pocket he cleaned the blood off the lovely pelt then carried the lioness into the jeep. The younger man, the driver, jumped out and moved towards the watering hole. He was handsome, with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes glowing on a youthful face. He was staring across the water, squinting against the reflection of the sun.

"Dad, there's something over there."

The man walked over next to his son and studied the golden figure before he gasped and broke into a run. "That's a girl, Damien!"

Damien ran behind his father and the girl they'd left in the jeep perked up, standing on the seat to watch them. After a moment, curiosity made her jump out of the jeep and run to catch up with her father and brother.

They were kneeling next to her, making sure she was alive. Her skin was a very creamy white and her hair was gold. She had a medium frame, was quite muscular, and… _attractive, _Rose noticed. She tore her gaze away before she studied any further. She stared into the clear water, meeting her own gaze. Her mother had named her Rose because of her eyes, which were a vibrant shade of pink. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, except for two burgundy locks hanging on either side of her face.

"Rose!"

She tore her eyes from the water and turned to her father.

"Yes, Da?"

"Get the green blanket out of the back so we can cover her."

She nodded, stole another glance at the girl and then ran to the car. Damien and Da were close behind, carrying the unconscious girl gently between them. Rose pulled the requested blanket out of the back while they stretched her on the back seat and then handed it to Da so he could wrap her. She crawled into the back seat while Damien and Da got back in the front, starting the jeep and turning quickly around, speeding back in the direction they had come from. The engine roared as they sped away, and then silence reigned again.

Aime, having watched the entire episode perched in the center of the water, sighed. She had remained invisible to not only the Pride but furless ape – no, human was it? – and after witnessing the death of the lioness Shena she was glad they hadn't seen her. She didn't know if the human weapons could hurt her, but she wasn't willing to take this risk.

Death had barely had time to retrieve Shena's soul before her body was disturbed. They had waited behind, both watching the humans through the black mist that only the Goddess seemed to notice. As soon as the humans had taken Arina, Death and Shena vanished. Aime waited a moment, watching them disappear. She frowned thoughtfully then vanished as well, melting slowly into the surface of the watering hole.


	8. Destiny Determined

Saga didn't stop running until he stumbled over a tree limb and crashed into the earth, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Maten had to jump over him to avoid a similar fate, but because his legs were too tired to catch his weight when he landed they buckled. They both lay on the savannah ground, panting heavily but smiling. They had escaped death.

When Maten felt he could stand again, he slowly gathered himself to his paws and looked at Saga. His eyes were still somewhat clear, but he could sense the insanity would return soon. Something about the animal and the thunder was slowly driving him deeper into whatever void his injury had caused. Maten had to learn how to use this to his advantage; when Saga began to slip into another episode Maten had to get him to teach how to teach him to kill. But for now, he had to start small. There were more things he needed to learn besides simply killing. He needed to learn how to become a lion.

"Saga?"

He didn't move for a long moment, seeming to be staring at something in the distance. Maten hesitated before he laid a paw on the lion's black mane.

"Saga?"

Saga jumped up with a startled roar, sending Maten scrambling backwards. Saga stared at the small lion, blinking a few times, and then he shook his head quickly. Maten held his breath before asking more quietly.

"Saga?"

The eyes focused on him, the face not seeming to recognize him. But after the massive head shook again the look faded to one of concern as the brown eyes studied his head.

"You're missing a piece of your ear."

Maten reached a paw up, but withdrew it with a yelp as he stupidly touched the wound. A puddle, the remains of a small watering hole, provided him with a mirror. Indeed, a piece of his right ear was missing. After a moment he smirked, enjoying how it made him look like a warrior. He ducked his head into the water and washed the blood off his face then turned from the puddle and moved back to Saga. He would gloat over the wound later; for now, duty called.

"Maten, you wanted to ask me something?"

Maten sat next to him, staring levelly across the plains. Somewhere out there was Pride Rock and Simba. He growled deep in his throat, turning his soft blue eyes to Saga.

"I want you to train me, Saga. Train me to become a true lion, a king. And then I want you to teach me how to kill."

Saga started, starting into his calm expression. He knew that Maten wasn't referring to killing antelope and zebra. The king in him said no and refused to have any part in the murder of another king. But the insanity slowly returning to his brain assured his alternate persona that the King of the Kuborn Pride had died with the rest of the pride, and the new Saga desired nothing more than to raise the young lion to be a killer. He knew they would have to leave for him to be successful, or else they ran the risk of Kovu finding them.

Saga grinned and Maten noticed lines of blood creeping back into his eyes. He got up and began to continue in the direction they had been running at a much slower pace. Maten hesitated then ran to catch up, confused. His worry became elation when Saga's deep voice rumbled out a simple question.

"Can you stalk?"


	9. Kimya

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the awkwardness of whatever position she was in. Something was wrong with her paws, too. She groaned quietly and brought a paw up to rub her head, but as she brushed her face she froze.

No fur. No muzzle.

Arina's eyes shot open and she brought her paws before her face, staring at them. They looked different – like a monkey's, except they were pale in color. She sat up slowly and looked down at her body. What was showing was all the same pale, furless color, but some of it was covered by an odd skin – white on top and blue on the bottom. She became aware of something tickling her back and reached a paw up, rubbing at her head. There was fur there, and even though it was long and not exactly furry it was the color it should have been. She held a clump of it tightly in one hand, taking comfort in it.

Arina looked around her surroundings, not recognizing anything. She was in a cave of some sort, but that was all she could tell. It looked to be sealed off on every side, which made her nervous. If she was trapped…

She tried to yell for her father, or Maten, but the only sound she heard herself made was a squeak. She closed her mouth, running her tongue over her teeth. No fangs anymore – they were different, too. She tried to growl, but it sounded weak. Her power of speech had been stolen from her with this new body.

She was about to try and walk to the walls of the cave to try and find a way out when part of the wall swung open. A tall animal with a body like hers walked in, followed by two others. Two of them had short fur, one gray and the other brownish, and the third had long fur like hers except a lighter color.

The one with gray fur opened its mouth and began to make noises. Arina stared blankly at it, not recognizing anything it said. She could, however, determine it was a male by the way he sounded, and was probably the pride patriarch. The brown haired one was probably the prince, and the other one the princess. The females had manes in this pride of animals?

The patriarch was looking at her, blinking. He walked closer and Arina instinctively moved backwards until her back pressed against the wall. He looked her in the eye and began to repeat a similar sound several times. She listened to him, hoping to catch onto his language so she could ask where she was.

"Kimya. Kimya. Kimya."

Kimya? It must have been his pride name. Wondering if he was asking her whether or not she was part of this pride, Arina shook her head. He made some other noises, looked confused at her prolonged silence, and then made the one sound she recognized.

"Kimya."

She swallowed and looked to the prince and princess. They were both staring at her as well but made no sound. She whimpered quietly and looked back at the patriarch, hoping he would let her go.

"Kimya" was all he said to her puzzled expression.

She didn't want to join his pride, but figured if she could get on his good side she could find clues that would lead her home and out of this weird body. She nodded slowly, he smiled and moved out of her face and then walked out of the cave. The other two followed him, although the female hesitated. Their eyes met for a second before the patriarch's voice sounded from the other side of the wall. She left, closing the wall behind her. In the privacy of the cave Arina curled up and began to cry quietly, wishing she was with Maten.

"It's rather odd. She doesn't seem to understand what I'm saying – she must be from another country. Either that or she suffered a head wound I didn't find and has forgotten how to speak. Either way, Kimya is a suitable nickname until we discover her true name."

The family had picked up some Swahili vocabulary while visiting villages, and kimya was the term for mute. She only appeared to make small noisesbut otherwise had no verbal skills, which is why Da had chosen this nickname for her.

"Didjya catch those eyes? Pretty weird color; just like your pink, except the acidy green's a little cooler."

"She's beautiful…" is all Rose managed to sigh out. Damien smirked at her, but Da held up a hand and cut the tangent off from getting further.

"The fact of the matter is we don't know who she is, where she's from, how she got where she was, or anything else about her. Besides that, I think she needs time to recover. Give her a few days of peace, and then we'll try to figure out who our Kimya really is."

Damien nodded and immediately left to his room, probably to look for any missing persons reports. Da stared hard at Rose, who looked awkwardly away after a moment.

"Alright, Rose?"

She nodded slowly but didn't move. Da sighed and moved around her, going out to the living room. After a few minutes she heard the front door open then close. He was going out to skin the lioness and preserve her fur before stuffing her. This meant she had several hours alone, time and privacy enough to get to know Kimya.

She heard a thud from within the room and opened the door, finding Arina trying to pull herself back onto the bed. She froze and turned, staring at Rose. Rose chuckled and closed the door behind her, moving to her side and taking her hands.

"Here, let me help you up."

She pulled Arina to her feet, not entirely surprised when she began to collapse. Rose caught her, holding her upright.

"Don't remember how to walk either, Kimya?"

Arina looked up at her. Rose smiled and held onto her hands again, moving a little away. Arina tightened her hold but didn't fall over this time, managing to maintain her balance.

Arina was reminded of learning to stalk. Kovu had her balancing on narrow ledges for long periods of time so her balance became as close to perfect as possible. He did it when he was young, he told her, and it had helped him immensely. He would often join her on those ledges, grinning when overbalanced but easily catching her in a paw.

Kovu… Arina felt her eyes beginning to tear, but she stopped herself from crying. She couldn't show weakness to these animals; she had no idea how they would react to it. Rose, not noticing her tears, started to let go of her hands. Arina managed to stay upright for a few seconds before she lost her balance and collapsed onto the bed. Rose moved over to her and held out her hands again, smiling.

"Try again."


	10. The Council's Folly

Kovu and Kiara were both summoned this time. Both were understandably angry with the Council for more reasons than the disappearance of Arina. Both had major bones to pick and were past the point of caring what happened to them as a result.

Kovu stormed right past Mufasa when he came to the Council's Forest. Mufasa didn't try to stop him, and instead walked with his granddaughter. He wasn't sure of how to comfort or calm her, so he remained quiet during the walk.

The Kings were waiting for Kovu as he burst into the clearing. He looked at them, shuddering with anger. They called him here and wouldn't even show up to face him!

"The Goddesses will return shortly, Kovu."

Kovu snapped a glare at the Wind King.

"I don't feel like waiting for their return to have my questions answered, Wind King. I demand that you tell me what happened to Arina."

"Our actions are for the best of the Pride, Kovu."

Kovu began to shake, only barely preventing himself from shooting forwards and ripping into the Wind King's blind face. The Kings, noticing his anger, decided to let the matter rest until the Goddesses returned from attending to Shena's soul. Kovu paced and growled during the silence, not even stopping when Mufasa arrived with Kiara. Kiara sat a little apart from him, staring down at the ground.

Sarabi soon appeared out of the shadows of the forest. Kiara, who had never been to the forest before, tried to run to her and greet her but Kovu held his paw out. She looked up at him, confused, but when he offered no explanation she sat down and stared at her grandmother. Sarabi glanced at her then closed her eyes and spoke.

"The Goddesses are returning."

She took her seat next to the Water King, staring across at Mufasa. Within seconds the forest brightened and the seven Goddesses appeared, each seated next to their Kings save Amber. She stood before Kovu and Kiara, looking down at them.

"Welcome to the Council of Kings, noble Kovu."

He didn't respond, instead narrowing his eyes. Amber growled quietly at him.

"I would advise you not disrespect the Council, Kovu."

"Where is my daughter?"

Amber stiffened as he didn't return the greeting. She understood his anger and rush to find answers, but he still had to show respect to the Council. She waited for him to say something, eyeing him disapprovingly. Kovu met her gaze stubbornly, refusing to back down.

Amber snarled at him then turned and moved to her stone, sitting besides her King. She leaned against his leg, still glaring at Kovu. Kovu continued to hold her gaze until his eyes widened and he turned to Aime suddenly.

"You spoke last when I was here. What did you do to Arina?"

She met his furious eyes calmly. After looking around at the others, she turned to him again.

"A unanimous decision was made by the Council to give Arina the body of a human so the humans coming to murder lions would be distracted and leave the Pride Lands."

Kovu stared at her, trying to control his temper. He growled out slowly, turning his attention to the entire Council.

"And why did you do this?"

"For the good of the Pride," Amber answered matter-of-factly.

Kovu lost it. He snarled at Amber and jumped boldly into the circle, roaring at her.

"You claim for the good of the Pride, Amber, but you didn't think rationally! You killed Simba for his refusal to murder Maten, and then you forced me into doing it by threatening the same fate! Not only were the Pride's best hunters killed by the threat you named Saga, but I had to kill my sister because your decision drove her back into madness! Maten has sworn revenge on me because of her death, and now you have Arina changed and kidnapped? You have done nothing beneficial for the Pride, Amber! Our paw chosen heirs were no problem for you until recently, and your actions have weakened the Pride more than the banishment of the Outlanders in Simba's time did!"

Amber struck out too quickly for Kovu to twist away. The bird's beak sank into his face twice, one strike slashing the scar from Zira's angry claws open and the other time diagonally across this mark. Kovu roared out with agony and twisted away, collapsing by Kiara. She cried out and jumped to him, trying to cleanse his face as Amber advanced on them both, growling.

"Kovu, if you ever question the actions of the Council again you will be dethroned."

He was in too much pain to respond. She stood over him, quivering with rage as she continued.

"You will learn your place eventually, Kovu. Mufasa learned quickly not to question our actions, and in his younger years Simba was obedient to our decisions. Ahadi and Mohatu flourished under our guidance. Every king of our Pride has listened, obeyed, and prospered. You must learn to do the same."

Mufasa's eyes closed as she said this and Sarabi ventured a look of shock at Amber. Kiara looked up at the Goddess before her. Amber's gold eyes were burning with rage, but Kiara still ventured the question she wanted to... had to… ask.

"What about Scar?"

Amber made as if to strike again and Kiara cried out, but a black shadow flashed in front of her. There was a rattling of bones and the clacking of wood hitting wood, and then silence. Kiara looked up into Liena's back and noticed the red eyes of the hyena skull staring at her. She whimpered and cowered closer to Kovu, who was watching the two Goddesses. Liena pushed Amber's staff aside and stood protectively in front of the two of them.

"Amber, you will stop these shameful actions in front of the Council this instant. Being a Goddess does not grant you the right to attack the Pride's king and queen." Amber growled then moved back to her stone, sitting down. She didn't focus on Liena as she continued to speak quietly.

"Kovu and Kiara are right. We acted rashly in our decision with Arina and I think we must reconsider our actions. We cannot change what has been done to Simba, Maten, Vitani, and the other lionesses, but we must find a way to bring Arina home safely."

The Kings and Goddesses, save Amber, nodded. Liena turned and smiled down at Kovu and Kiara comfortingly.

"You may go. We will inform you of our decision when it is made."

Kiara and Kovu vanished from the Council's Forest. Liena turned from where they had been and moved back to her King, glancing over at Amber before she sat down next to him and addressed the Council.

"We cannot allow the dark years to repeat themselves, but if this situation is to continue any further they will. Maten must be dealt with, Arina must be returned to the Circle of Life, and we must find a suitable replacement for the prince."


	11. The Gift from the Great Kings

Author's Note: I did this to cheer myself up and, after re-reading it, decided it would be a nice segway into the rest of the fic, because it all goes downhill from here... I did a passage of several months because the way I originally had this going wasn't exactly working and was actually pretty boring. o.x And I know I've updated a lot in the past couple days, but they'll slow down again due to lots of work for the next two months.

**MorpheusDreamer**: Thank you for being the only one to review my fic thus far. Your comments are greatly appreciated, and I'm glad that Arina's change hasn't completely turned you off to it. When I started this I actually didn't have that whole thing planned. I hope the rest of this lives up to any expectations you may have. Again, thank you **very** much.

* * *

Several months of lessons had done nothing to improve Arina's ability to speak, but she was beginning to understand some of the words they spoke. After being ill for over a week, she also adjusted to their diet. She also soon learned their names and figured out that Kimya was her name to them. She had grown closer to Rose throughout this time and had grown more adjusted to this new life. And as the days went by, she lost her desire to return to Pride Rock. 

Rose and Arina were lying below the night sky, gazing up at the stars. Arina was staring hard at the four stars she could put names to: Mohatu, Ahadi, Mufasa, and Simba. Simba's star was always much smaller and dimmer than the other Great Kings, something Arina was sure the Goddesses had something to do with. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to convey her feelings to the Great Kings without being able to speak them.

She felt a soft breeze pick up, felt a warm embrace. She sank into it, remembering the touch as she had experienced it in her childhood. It comforted her and reminded her of her other life, despite her desire not to return to it. There were more presences around her, but she only knew three of the others. The Great Kings had come down to her. They had heard her thoughts!

She remained still while she felt the spirits of the Great Kings around her, bathing in the radiating warmth and wisdom they emitted. It lasted only a minute before they vanished in another soft breeze, all of them save Simba's. He remained with her for several more minutes and Arina felt a tear roll down her cheek. She missed her grandfather, missed the times she spent with him listening to his stories and sitting under the stars. It was he who had originally pointed out Ahadi and Mufasa's stars to her.

When he, too, left to join the Great Kings, Arina realized that Rose's paw was resting on her stomach. She opened her eyes and rolled her head on the side, coming almost face to face with her. Rose blushed faintly but spoke quietly to her.

"Are you alright, Kimya?"

Arina's eyes widened a little bit. Rose blinked and picked herself up on her elbow, confused at her reaction and thinking she'd done something wrong. Arina looked back up at the stars, only now realizing why the Kings had come down to her. They heard her and were granting her permission to stay with Rose.

They had given her the ability to understand.

"Kimya?"

Arina looked back over at her and smiled sincerely, wiping her eyes on the back of her paw. She nodded slowly in response to her question, sitting up. She wanted to tell her everything, but she still could not speak their language. But to her, that didn't matter anymore. She still had to learn what many of their words and phrases meant, but that didn't matter either. She _understood _now.

Rose was still confused and thought maybe she wanted to go inside. She started to stand up, but Arina pulled her back down and shook her head. She smiled into her eyes then looked back into the stars, thanking the Great Kings silently for doing what the Goddesses could not.

Rose studied her, realization dawning slowly.

"Kimya, you… you understood me?"

Her head nodded slowly, but her eyes never left the stars. Rose smiled and moved a little closer to Arina, leaning against her. Their hands met and Rose closed her eyes, sighing softly and thanking whatever watchful deity broke the barrier between them. If Kimya could now understand, then Rose could tell her everything she wanted to.

Above them, Simba's star glowed brightly.


	12. The Exile's Return

Author's Note: I'm back! This is another short chapter because I had a bad case of writer's block trying to finish this one. But it'll pick back up in chapter 13, I promise. In the story's terms, the ending is going to come really quickly - but due to my own personal slacking it won't be done anytime soon. I blame working from 10-6 - I get home and am too fried to do anything but check on my forums and sleep.

Morph, welcome back! And **BoundingJackalope**, thanks for the first review! I hope I can keep you interested.

* * *

The lion was rather handsome, with medium brown fur and a full light brown mane. His tail was flicking gently behind him as his blue eyes stared into the dark night, fixated on something beyond his sight. He had a powerful frame and an emotionless face, seeming to be a stone statue seated on his stone throne. 

Saga sat a distance away from Maten, nodding his head approvingly. As Saga began to circle him, Maten remained still. After a couple turns, Saga sat directly in front of him and spoke quietly.

"Your own mother would not recognize you, Maten."

Maten's head turned down slowly and he looked Saga in the eyes, a little surprised. He sighed quietly, shaking his head slowly. Saga had become insane forever shortly after they had left the Pride Lands behind. His eyes were always bloodshot now and he rambled for most of the time.

Maten, however, had grown out of his lanky body and had become rather handsome. Saga spent his last days clinging to sanity to train Maten in the fine arts of stalking, pouncing, and any other basics he could think of. However, after he lost it the fun really began with fights and practice on young animals. Maten was soon able to overpower Saga in mere minutes, a feat not even older Raevn could have accomplished.

Saga cackled and jumped towards the Pride Lands, a feverish tone again returning to his voice.

"We have work to do, Maten! Work! Come, come."

Maten stared at the older lion's back, resisting an urge to sink his fangs into his throat. He needed Saga until after the overthrowing, and possibly longer. Their deal was that Saga could do anything except breed with Kiara, Arina and two other lionesses, the pale Kamaria and the black and white Winda. They were _his._ Saga had readily accepted to these terms because it left him many with which to mate.

But Maten planned on killing him before he even approached a female.

Maten lifted himself slowly and stepped off the rock, following Saga's excited bounds at a run. He knew instinctively when they crossed into the Pride Lands – the memory of his mother's broken body flooded back into his mind. He snarled quietly and caught up with Saga, his claws unintentionally sliding out of his paws. Before the night ended, Kovu would be in the stars and Saga would be nothing more than a memory.

Saga slowed his bounce to a run slightly faster than Maten's. He figured the young lion wanted to kill him – his insanity made him jumpy. And Maten _dared_ to put the desired Kiara on hold for himself? Saga didn't need to listen to him. He may have been out matched in their fights, but after killing Kovu Maten would be tired and wounded. And then, Saga would strike and claim the Pride Lands for himself.

High above them, a green speck fluttered quickly in the direction of Pride Rock, hidden against the protective cloak of night.


	13. A King's Grief

Author's Note: Things aren't going well back at home. Chapter fourteen is done, but I'm going to post it up tomorrow after I proof read it and probably do some more tinkering.

**Morph** and **BoundingJackalope** - thanks for being my only two reviewers. I'm glad I've kept your interest thus far, and it really means a lot to have you both taking time to read - even though I'm being lazy with my updates. But these two chapters will give you plenty to think about.

* * *

The sun rose slowly over the Pride Lands, and while the herds came to life through the savannah the Pride was already awake and alert. Kovu was pacing from the cave to the tip of Pride Rock, snarling and muttering to himself. The X shaped scar from Amber had permanently closed his left eye, and with his physical change came an emotional change. He was mad now, the Mad King Kovu. 

And the news from Penrai didn't make things better.

Kovu stalked to the tip of Pride Rock and sat down, glaring moodily out over the lands. Maten – that name haunted him like Vitani's final gaze. He had hoped Maten and Saga had ventured stupidly into the desert and died of dehydration, or been fatally wounded in a fight. But the lion would come back to haunt him time and time again, it seemed.

"S-Sire…"

Kovu spun angrily on Penrai, who looked more than ready to fly away. He stared at the bird then calmed himself down and turned back out to the Pride Lands. Ever since Zazu's passing shortly after Sarabi, Kovu had relied on the small bird to relay him information – a Majordomo and a messenger at the same time. He was rather handsome, with a green body, blue wingtips, and red eyes. He was also a fast flyer, which was good when Kovu had to pass messages to other prides.

"Penrai…"

The green bird fluttered to Kovu's shoulder and looked up at him.

"Sire?"

"Penrai, how did it come to this? My daughter is gone, my heir is determined to kill me, and my mate…" He turned towards the cave, towards Kiara's slumped form. She had been in a deep state of grief for weeks. Penrai pulled a tick from Kovu's mane, chewed it thoughtfully, and then offered his solution.

"I think you need to talk some sense into Maten, Sire. Tell him what has gone on, assure him of his place in the Circle of Life, and find him a new heir. Or you must rely on…"

A snarl came to Kovu's lips and Penrai fluttered quickly away, knowing he had said the wrong thing. Whenever the suggestion of replacing Arina rose, he was quick to strike out.

Penrai watched the mad king rake his claws along the stone in rage and grief, settling down on a small tree near Pride Rock. The elegant form sitting next to him watched Kovu vent himself, speaking quietly.

"Rafiki's time is almost over, little Penrai. He foretold Kovu's path into darkness long ago, but no one listened. Simba had grown to love his son in law, Nala was thrilled that her daughter had fallen in love, and the rest of them…"

"Vitani?"

Penrai looked up to the fishing eagle next to him. His head and neck were a snow white, his body was brown, and his wings mottled black and brown. His eyes were a sharp golden and glowed over his fearsome, hooked beak. Aujilo was Rafiki's apprentice and had amassed a sum of knowledge equal to the old mandrill.

"Vitani always knew. Even when she turned on Zira she knew." He looked sadly towards the tormented king. "Not all the love in the world could change that – not from Kiara, not from Simba, not from Vitani. Perhaps from Zira, when he was young and learning still. He could have been saved…"

Kovu opened his eye slowly and gazed out over his beloved Pride Lands, feeling a sense of calm wash over his body. He was always comforted looking at his territory, looking at what Simba had left him. His paws reached as far as his eye could see, everywhere the light touched. And it was all his!

"Kovu?"

Well, maybe theirs.

He looked over his shoulder to see Kiara. She was sitting several feet from him, her ruby eyes glowing with pain. Kovu stood up slowly and walked to her, letting her collapse against him. As he nuzzled his head into hers he whispered quietly.

"You are my star, Kiara. Always remember that no matter what, you are my star and Arina is my jewel."

She trembled and moved closer to him, whimpering quietly.

"Winda told me that Maten is coming back… Is he?" She looked up at him and he looked down into her eyes before turning his head away. A cold wind blew but Kiara found herself moving away from Kovu, not towards him.

"Maten is coming back, Kiara. But he won't be staying."

"Kovu, what is wrong with you? You've been acting strange, ignoring summons before the Council, and…"

"The council has nothing they can say to me, unless they return my Arina."

"But Kovu, the tradition of our pride is to keep a close touch with the Council and our ancestors. You can't break it because they made a wrong choice, Kovu."

"They took our daughter, Kiara."

"But…"

He growled at her and tensed to strike, but Kiara stopped herself. Her face grew angry, and before he realized what he had done she dropped into a stiff bow. Never before had Kovu made that move on her, but she knew it was a warning of his deterioration. Soon she would be no longer his star but his slave.

"If it pleases your Majesty, I will take the lionesses out hunting."

"Kiara…"

She turned her back on him and announced for the hunting party to assemble. He watched her descend down Pride Rock with the elegant grace of a queen and sighed, collapsing to the cold stone and sobbing "What else do you wicked deities have in store for a broken king and his failing throne?"


	14. Broken Promise

Rose snuck into her room, trying to move slowly enough so the floor won't creak under her feet. She passed her bed and dresser, coming to a stop by Kimya's floral comforter and sleeping form. She smiled then grinned deviously as she prepared to dive onto her bed to wake her up, but yelped with shock then the girl suddenly dove from her bed and tackled her.

Rose stared with surprise then laughed quietly and hugged her. "You have the reflexes of a lioness, Kimya! Oh, I have something to tell you."

Arina blinked and let her up, sitting next to her. Rose smiled and sat up next to her.

"We're moving back home to New York in a couple of days, Kimya."

Arina blinked, confused, then suddenly it struck her. _Just like the migrating birds! _She became uneasy about leaving her home, but it was brief. She found security in her choice to remain with Rose as she leaned against her, sighing. _Simba, give me courage…_

She stood up slowly and smiled down at Rose then walked outside the room and to the front door, staring out the small window. She needed to reach her pride and say goodbye. Even if it meant finding the way back home herself in this body and risking death…

Would she risk death? She hesitated, not wanting to lose Rose, but not wanting to leave without saying goodbye. Rose came up behind Arina and smiled, opening her mouth to say something. Arina turned to her and was about to return the smile when suddenly a wave of darkness swept over her, as familiar and damning as the day she ran from her father. She staggered backwards and fell to the ground, not hearing Rose's confused yell.

The forest was strange and dark, and her legs felt uncomfortable. She looked down and realized who she was again – Arina, Princess of the Pride Lands. She cried out and shook her head quickly, backing up several steps. She bumped into something and turned, seeing Aime standing behind her. The goddess knelt down, laying a paw on her shoulder. Next to her, the fish swam.

"Arina, Princess! Welcome home. We will have you back to normal soon, Prin-"

"No, no!" She twisted away and growled loudly. "I don't want to go back! Please. Don't make me go back!"

"Go back where?"

The other Goddesses appeared, and she spun around to face them. Liena stepped forwards, confused but smiling. Arina looked with panic to all of the faces and they all looked the same, hopeful and expectant. Liena spoke quietly to her as she began to act like a mouse trapped in the center of a circle of cats.

"We are sending you home, Arina. Your father misses you. Maten will be taken care of and then…"

"I don't want to go back to Pride Rock!"

All seven looked like they had just been shot in the chest. They stared at her with wide eyes before Liena stammered.

"B-But, we only int-tended you to d-draw off fire…"

"I don't want to go to Pride Rock, Goddesses! I want to stay with Rose!" She shook her head quickly. "I love Rose, don't you understand?"

They fell silent and said nothing for a long time. Even Amber, who had been ousted as the Council's "leader" in favor of Liena, let her anger slip in favor of shock. The intended union was most unorthodox – a lioness princess with a human female? Surely the Great Kings wouldn't settle for it. Arina, however, looked determined.

The silence was suddenly broken by a loud cry.

"Arina!"

Kiara bounded into the center of the circle, hugging her daughter close. Arina returned the embrace warmly then looked up to see Kovu, tall and powerful. She stared at him, tilting her head and trying to buy herself time.

"Father, what happened to your eye?"

He glared at Amber then turned to her, forcing a smile.

"I got into a fight with an angry… Bird. Are you ready to come home, Arina? Pride Rock needs you."

Arina trembled and looked to her mother. Kiara, who had never judged her before, wouldn't judge her now. She steeled herself, trying to predict his reaction, drew in a deep breath…

"Arina won't be going home."

Kovu stared at Amber then looked to Arina.

"Is this true?"

She nodded slowly and Kovu felt a pain in his chest. He shook his head slowly, opening his mouth to say something – anything – to change her mind. He fought for her, faced the Council for her, lost his eye for her, agonized for her… And now she was going to turn on him? Just like this? This is how she thanked him?

"Arina…"

"Father…"

Kiara stood by her, giving her some strength. She took a breath then continued quietly, but her voice began to grow stronger as she gathered the courage she needed to turn her back on her father and family for good.

"Father, I was happy once. When Simba was alive and Maten was my friend and you would watch us play from Pride Rock. I was happy then. I was happy when Vitani would walk us to the watering hole and even to the one on the borders of the Pride Lands and swim us to the giant rock in the middle so we could watch the fish. I was happy when you took me to see Mufasa's grave and told me his story, the story that Simba told us by starlight the night before. I didn't want anything to change.

But they had to, because Maten was dangerous. Because of who his mother was, who his grandparents were, he was dangerous. So they told Simba to kill him. Because of that I lost Simba. I lost Maten. I lost you, father. I lost my faith in the Pride, in the Council. I can't go back, not now. I love my new family, I love who I've become, I love Rose, and I want to stay with them because they make me happy. And father, all I want to be is happy."

Kovu stared, silent yet fuming. He couldn't lose his daughter. Not to a human female. He shook his mane quickly and tried to plead with her.

"But, Arina, the Great Kings…"

"…Have given her their full permission."

All present, save Arina, fell into a bow and trembled. Mohatu's voice was deeper than Mufasa's and much more intimidating. The spirit of the greatest king of them all with the brightest star stood squarely behind Arina. Flanking his left was Ahadi, a lion who looked very similar to Mufasa on Mohatu's right, save a more sinewy body. And next to his father stood Simba, his proud gaze piercing into the Goddesses as he stood with the Great Kings and his granddaughter.

Mohatu's eyes gazed at all the assembled, his deep voice rumbling out again though his mouth didn't move.

"You have lost your way, King Kovu. You have failed to follow the traditions of our Pride and as such have placed it in more danger than any young cub could bring. By chasing Maten away and murdering Vitani in cold blood, you have brought your end upon yourself."

Kovu didn't say anything but closed his eyes, fearing the Great King's words to be true. Simba spoke now, addressing the Council. The Goddesses felt as if he was getting retribution for their treatment of him.

"You have also lost your way, Council. You let the past blind you and drive your decisions home. You wrongly accused innocents of crimes they had no part in. The Princess Arina has nothing to return to at Pride Rock, only pain and suffering. While the Council should seek to send her back to the claws of Maten, the Great Kings will not allow their daughter to face such a hard life. Arina will return to the humans."

Kovu stared at Simba, shocked at his words.

"But what of your Pride?"

Mohatu roared out, pointing an accusatory claw at Kovu.

"It is your pride now, King! You have brought foundations endless generations strong down in mere months. You will find a way to rebuild it, Kovu. Do not turn to us for guidance – We have already tried, and you no longer listen." A sneer came to his face. "You no longer listen, just as Scar never listened."

Kovu cried out, not a roar but a weak cry, as Mohatu inflicted more pain upon him than any tooth or claw. To become the very thing Zira had wanted him to become pained him more than his exile from Pride Rock. He collapsed to the ground and jerked his head, screaming with defiance.

"I am not Scar!"

"Look at yourself! You have succumbed to madness, just as he did! You have become a Scar yourself, Kovu. Taka followed the same path to darkness, and you had the chance to turn from it – every creature does. You did, Kovu. When you stopped the war, when Arina was a cub, you were good. But you have now traveled down the same path Scar did. The Council is partially to blame for this, but they will not take the blame that is yours as well."

Kovu sobbed brokenly and Kiara went quickly to his side, lying next to him and nuzzling her nose into his neck. Arina didn't move, not knowing where to go. The Great Kings had given her permission to leave, but what of her father?

_No daughter of the Great Kings would turn her back on the Pride in their time of need… Never before has it happened._ He stopped crying slowly and opened his eye as a realization stuck him. No daughter of _his_ would turn their back on the Pride.

He sat up slowly, staring at Arina. The look in his eyes pained her and she stepped forwards, but he flinched away. The words he breathed into the silence scarred her heart forever after that day and sealed his fate in the eyes of the Great Kings.

"I have no daughter."

Kovu turned his back on them all and walked into the mists of the forest, vanishing into them. The Goddesses also vanished, fearing the times ahead of them. They knew the Great Kings would do something to their Council, for this wasn't the first time they had led the Pride astray. But this time may be unforgivable in the eyes of the Great Kings.

When Kiara could move again she tried to go to Arina, but the lioness turned her head away and shook it slowly, choking out "Da… Kovu needs you, mom."

Kiara froze, staring at her broken daughter and the spirits of the Great Kings. The events of the last few minutes had stunned her – in so many words the Great Kings had predicted their doom. She realized that this was the last time she would see her daughter and her father, and the first and final time seeing her ancestors. She studied them all closely and managed a small smile, seeing the similarities.

In all of them.

Without another word but with a small bow Kiara turned to follow her mad king. Following him to certain death, perhaps, but her love for the Kovu she found under the starry sky so long ago still held her. He was still there, but he was overcome.

Arina tried to run after her, but the forest sank into blackness. All she could do was watch as everything became dark. A pain swept over her, something that made her cry out, buckle over and curl up. A voice beckoned her towards consciousness, but whose is was she couldn't tell. All she could see was…

_The sun sank slowly into the west, but not before it gave a wonderful light display. Pink, purple, orange, red, blue, black – bars of all the colors glowed with the final rays of sunshine and some of the stars of the Great Kings could be seen twinkling into existence. Mohatu's star was already glowing warmly over the Pride Lands. In the plains, Kovu and Kiara watched as Maten and Arina rushed wildly around chasing butterflies, the waving grass, and themselves. Their laughter even brought a smile to Vitani's face as she watched them play._

_They same to a wide hill and crested it slowly. The King of the Pride Lands flopped down at the very top, his silky black mane becoming the Queen's pillow. Arina and Maten rushed up behind them, laughing and wrestling each other. The two smiled and watched them, feeling Vitani come up behind them and sit down._

_Maten looked up from under Arina into Kovu's soft gaze and smiled, wriggling out from under his friend. He walked up to them both, standing on hid hind legs and resting his paws on Kovu's cheeks. He looked curious now, not playful._

"_We're a family, right?"_

_Kovu laughed quietly and nodded, knocking the small cub to the ground. Vitani came around and lay down on Kovu's other side, nuzzling Maten's small body carefully. Arina curled up between Kiara and Kovu._

"_Was that a yes, father?"_

"_Yes, my little jewel. We are a family, and we always will be one." He licked her then smiled to Kiara and Vitani, who in turn looked down at her son. He stared up at her then smiled wide. Kovu looked back down to Arina._

"_I promise."_


	15. We Old Warhorses

Wow, don't know why I didn't post this sooner. It's been done for about a week. It's just setting the mood for the finale.

* * *

Kiara risked a glance into the cave before she returned her gaze to the mottled lioness Winda. She was just entering adulthood. Her mellow brown eyes returned Kiara's gaze and the two shared a brief smile before moving away from the cave entrance and gracefully down the side of Pride Rock. The shade of a small tree offered them comfort from the heat and the two sat down, sharing the experience of a rare moment of silence in the majestic Pride Lands.

Kovu had spent much of the night crying and roaring in the cave and the Pride had done its best to avoid him; even Kiara had remained outside while he played out his rage. But now, finally, the heat and exhaustion had caused him to collapse into a fitful slumber.

Kiara sighed and crawled onto the rock Nala had slept her last night on, finding it mentally sobering to relive that final night with her mother. She smiled then made room for Winda, who jumped up next to her. After a while of silence Kiara spoke quietly.

"Winda, why haven't you run?"

The lioness smiled and chuckled.

"Why should I? It would take forever to journey to the edges of the Pride Lands and even longer to find another pride who would take me in. I have my loyalties and my history here, anyways, and you too."

Kiara looked over at her and opened her mouth to speak when suddenly Aujilo and Penrai appeared, the latter looking anxious and nervous.

"Where is the King, Lady Kiara?"

Kiara hid her smile, but Winda chuckled. Penrai referred to her as Lady Kiara, thinking that it sounded more elegant and beautiful than Queen Kiara or Her Majesty.

"Kovu is taking a… Well deserved nap."

The two lionesses shared glances after watching Penrai's dance of anxiety. The eagle Aujilo spoke for the small bird when he refused to continue.

"Maten passed Rafiki's tree hours ago, your majesty. He was with the lion Kovu named Saga, who was jumping around and appeared very out of his mind. Maten roared for Rafiki to come down to him but we remained silent and he moved on. He will be here by…"

A roll of thunder brought his speech to a dead halt. He shared a look with Kiara, remembering tales from Rafiki and Simba of the storms they had faced. It rained when Simba overthrew Scar. It rained when the Outlanders came to overthrow Simba.

And now, it seemed as if it would rain when Maten came to overthrow Kovu.

Winda, not understanding the tension, laughed and jumped off the rock. Penrai, also forgetting his anxiety, flew with the lioness as they bounded into the grasslands like cubs, both chanting and dancing.

"The rains are coming, the rains are coming!"

Aujilo landed next to Kiara, watching the two. Kiara forced a smile as she watched Penrai and Winda dance.

"I suppose even majordomos need to rejoice once in a while. It seems only the old warhorses like us fear what the rains have brought before."

Aujilo rested a wing on Kiara's back, his voice filled with false hope.

"Perhaps this time it will be different, my old friend. I will return to Rafiki – I fear he will not last the night. It seems age catches up with the best of us." He quickly wiped his eyes with a wingtip and sighed. "He desires very much to see Mufasa and Sarabi again – He has missed them so."

Kiara watched Aujilo take to the skies then closed her eyes. She wanted to go see Rafiki one last time, but the danger presented by Maten and Saga was something she knew he wouldn't want her risking. She noticed Winda and Penrai had stopped dancing and the bird was now perched on Winda's head as the two watched Aujilo's flight and the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.


	16. Accusations

Darkness fell slowly, accompanied by the occasional rumble of thunder and flash of lightning. The Pride Lands were quiet as the herds found shelter from what was shaping up to be a rough storm, and even Pride Rock had fallen still. The lionesses and their angry king had fallen into fitful slumbers, most jumping subconsciously as nightmares and thunder disturbed them.

Maten and Saga moved slowly through the land. The crazed lion had become more cautious, paranoid about guards and warnings being sent to Kovu, but Maten trudged onwards with determination. Kovu already knew – Penrai probably sent him word. He began to growl but quickly suppressed it. _Save your energy, Maten._ He glanced sidelong at Saga. _You'll need it._

It wasn't until hours after the moon rose that the rain began to fall. A long roll of thunder heralded the welcome storm, and then it came down like a torrent. The landscape lit up brilliantly with each flash of lightning, and Pride Rock stood out like a black shadow against the white sky.

Maten looked up at the impressive heights and smiled grimly to himself as thunder boomed behind him. His mane laid slick against his head as he stared upwards, his eyes blinking furiously against the drops that landed in his eyes. He forgot about Saga, instead focused intently on the darkness that was Kovu's cave, so close and yet so far.

He was home.

Oblivious of Maten being so close, Kovu slowly moved away from Kiara, jumped over Winda in a graceful bound, and walked to the mouth of the cave. He stared into the night sky with his good eye, the scars over his other burning as the rain fell on it. Despite the sting of the scars he moved slowly forwards into the pouring rain. Maybe the pain and the cold water of the storm would sooth his mind and wake him out of the stupor he'd been in lately.

He sat at the tip of Pride Rock, gazing sadly across the lands. His beautiful Pride Lands, now covered in the dark coat of night and greedily drinking in the much-needed water from the storm. A small smile came to his muzzle and he turned his face into the rain, the pain now becoming a numb throb and his eye closed. He felt the pain and sadness of the past few days drip off his body with the rain water. _Perhaps this is all I needed to clear my mind… Time to think and a cold shower_. He smiled and opened his eye again, noticing with some confusion seven new stars in the sky. Each had a faint ring of color around them - deep green, silver, white, black, blue, red, and finally light blue. Another star was brighter, as well. He heard a faint voice in the back of his mind and figured it was Ahadi's, since it belonged to neither Mohatu, Mufasa, nor Simba. Still and all, it was a cold voice – one that was not too welcoming.

_The Wise Council is no more, Kovu. The seven ancient Kings now have their stars, and their queens wander the Dark Forest on all fours. Mufasa and Sarabi are no longer their pawns. Farewell, Kovu._

The message was short, but the ending powerful, and it make his fur bristle. He stared into his lands, now seeming unwelcoming and dark. A shudder ran through his powerful frame, and a small whimper escaped him. He returned his gaze to the now unwelcome sky then turned back towards the cave.

Maten's nose almost pressed against his, his blue eyes glowing. Close behind him, Saga fidgeted and cackled quietly, standing as a backup for Maten. Kovu only now realized how close he had come to death – one quick push from the powerful male…

Maten grinned slowly, a look Kovu didn't like. He swallowed hard, taking a wary step back – a step forwards for Maten. He had grown out of his lanky body and was now powerful and muscled. His eyes were so like Vitani's that, so close, he almost felt he was staring into his sister's eyes. Except, of course, that they were on darker fur and surrounded by a handsome, light brown mane, resting on a lion that more desired his death than she did.

Maten brought a paw up to gently stroke Kovu's cheek, almost lovingly. His voice was quiet and calm as he spoke – Kovu was trapped, and he would now take his time killing him.

"You killed your sister, Kovu. Out of cold blood. Because of a bunch of dead lions."

Kovu trembled and closed his eye, twisting his face from the paw stroking it. It was a stroke that Kiara would give him, his voice the calm voice of a lover. But looking into his face, all he saw was the desire to kill. Maten was simply toying with him, and he was enjoying it too. Because Kovu didn't have the voice to cry out for help with – his throat was tight with fear.

"You destroyed my friend. You killed my mother."

Another step backwards, but this time Maten didn't follow. Kovu's hind paw was now at the very tip of Pride Rock. He felt a cold wind swirl around him, causing him to shudder and whimper. Maten smiled slowly, now taking that step forwards. He had Kovu pressed against an invisible wall, backed up as far as he was willing to go. He would have to be pushed the rest of the way.

_Hmm… Pushed…_

Kovu looked past Maten to Saga, who was staring into the cave with a strange look on his face. He suddenly got up and padded quietly inside, and Kovu's sharp eyes caught him moving towards the pale lioness Elata. He growled quietly and tried to move forwards, but Maten remained rooted to the spot. Kovu stared up at him and snarled, raising his paw to strike out. Saga would not touch any of his lionesses – not Elata, not Winda, none of them. And especially not Kiara.

Maten was faster, though. Saga had trained him to recognize the intention to strike long before a paw is lifted, and he was already acting when Kovu began snarling. His claws raked vicious across Kovu's face, drawing four thick lines of blood. He sank his claws into his fur, holding his roaring face still while he screamed above a loud crack of thunder.

"You killed yourself, Kovu!"

He yanked his claws out of Kovu's face, calmly flicking his eyeball off the side of Pride Rock before he turned and walked towards Saga. Kovu's loud bellows of agony followed him and woke the Pride up, who watched with horror as the older gold lion was joined by a figure from their past, the blood of the king dripping from his paws. Kovu was thrashing around on Pride Rock, blind and in agony. Sooner or later he would fall off the side, or Maten would help him do it.

But first he had to deal with Saga.

He stood calmly by his side, looking at Kiara. She was staring at Kovu, but not daring to move. She could still feel the tension in the air, could see from the way Maten turned his eyes from her to Saga and noticed his claws sliding out of their sheaths. Saga looked over to him and grinned slowly, his voice slipping poisonously from his mouth.

"She is a pretty one, Maten."

Maten roared his challenge and smacked Saga powerfully in the jaw, hoping to send him sprawling. He, however, took the blow in his stride and twisted his face with the strike. He stepped away and stared calmly down his nose at Maten, who was standing against the wall and snarling. The lionesses slowly began to move backwards, forming a protective wall in front of Kiara. Outside, in the rain, Kovu lay completely still in the middle of Pride Rock.

Silence ruled as the two males faced off, each preparing to fight for two very extreme, very different prizes – one would become the king of the mighty Pridelands and have a full harem of lionesses waiting for him, and the other would be awarded death.

Maten and Saga met suddenly, both clashing in a flurry of claws and fangs. Maten clamped his jaws down on Saga's ear and raked his claws down his back, using a hind paw to defend his stomach. Saga twisted at an unnatural angle and forced Maten to the floor, his hind claws gashing deep cuts down Maten's stomach.

The younger lion roared and clawed viciously at Saga's face, soon feeling the weight on his chest lift. Saga ran outside, hoping to use the rain to clean the blood out of his eyes, while Maten rolled to his feet. He gasped painfully then stared outside, growling.

And suddenly, he felt a small cold spot on the back of his leg. He twisted his face around and saw Winda staring at him, her gentle eyes filled with pain. He started to move away but she slid up next to his ear, whispering to him.

"Please win, Maten."

He stared at her, shocked, then flashed a confident smirk and went back outside. Winda looked after him and whimpered quietly – it was in her own opinion that Maten would be best for the Pride now that Kovu was incapable of leading and would probably be dead. She slink back slowly to the group and pushed her way to Kiara's side, lying down by the grief-stricken Queen's side.

Noticing that the old lion was still trying to paw the endless stream of blood from his eyes Maten covered the distance between them in a single, powerful stride and pounced to the old male's back. Saga's bellow echoed with the sudden boom of thunder, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the sparring lions long enough for the pride to watch as Maten was thrown off Saga's back.

Maten grunted as he stopped rolling close to the edge of the mighty throne, watching Saga's slow approach. He stood uneasily, snarling into the face of the older male. His eyes were almost pure red now, save the small splash of brown in the center. Maten felt a cold fear grip him as he danced gracelessly out of Saga's reach. Saga would fight with the power of madness until he was dead - no pain would stop him.

Saga was right on him, following his clumsy dodge with a bound. He leapt mightily at the young warrior, slamming into his side and knocking him to the ground. Before he could struggle to his paws, Saga centered his weight on Maten's chest in an attempt to crush his ribs while he snapped at the writhing figure's neck.

The wind blown out of him, Maten was stunned for the brief second it took to realize that he was pinned. He began to jerk his head around, hoping to create too difficult a target for Saga's fangs while he tried to deal with his immense weight. Saga's laugh echoed through the night as he felt Maten's struggles die down and noticed his eyes rolling wildly. Almost... Almost...

When his mouth found the younger throat finally, he figured it was all over. But a sudden weight slammed into his left hind leg with bone-shattering force, and with a scream of agony he twisted away from Maten and fell to the ground. Maten remained still, fighting to regulate his breathing and watching as Saga tried to stand. In a final desperate move he had slammed both his hind legs into Saga's left with the desired result; if not broken, Saga now sported a dislocated leg.

Which was good enough for Maten.

The young male finally found his footing, standing for a moment to allow his head time to stop spinning before he stalked cautiously around the old lion. He circled like a vulture, watching his increasingly frantic attempts to find his footing. Like a flash he dove in and used Saga's back like a springboard, pushing him down as he almost got up. He found himself landing right near Kovu.

The king's head shot up, his blind eyes staring directly at Maten. He snarled with anger and stood slowly, breathing heavily. Maten was near - he could smell him. His voice came out as a hoarse bellow.

"I'll take you with me, Maten! I'll take you down with me!"

He dove towards the sound of heavy breathing and sank all his claws and fangs into the venerable flesh. His roar of victory was answered by a bellow of pain and Kiara's panicked scream. He wrestled the jerking form below him towards the side of Pride Rock, sinking in more grimly as the struggle became more frantic. He freed his jaws long enough to emit a final roar to his Pridelands, his pride, and his love before he rolled off the side with the doomed king. The silence that followed was broken only by the sounds of two loud snaps.


	17. His Sunset

Aujilo watched sadly from his perch as Rafiki moved about the inside of the Tree of Life, mumbling a chant quietly to himself. The words tore into Aujilo's heart especially, for they were the chant that shamans often give before they join their kings and ansectors in the sky. Rafiki's time was drawing ever nearer, and it was painfully evident in the way he slumped deeper and deeper with each round of the beloved Tree of Life.

Near Aujilo perched Penrai, the small green messenger. He wept unashamedly as he viewed the spectacle, not wanting to say goodbye.

Rafiki looked at them then stopped in front of the massive wall of bark in front of him, staring up at his works ranging from the King Ahadi and Queen Uru through King Maten and Queen Arina.

A prophecy which just hadn't come true.

He leaned on his staff and bowed his head, uttering a final quiet chant before he picked up a half a fruit. He dipped a thin finger in the mush inside of it and brought it up to the wall. Aujilo watched carefully as the old mandrill did his final work.

With the black ink, Rafiki drew a line through Arina's body - the sign of impurity, which was not even drawn on the young Taka. Next to the fantasy he made the rough sketch of a black bird, and next to this he drew a spiral with lines coming off all sides, almost like the sun. He sighed contently when he finished and rested his staff against the bark opposite before turning to Aujilo and Penrai.

"De circle is complete."

He closed his eyes as a mighty wind blew through the Tree of Life. Penrai flinched away and hid his eyes as the gust stung them, but Aujilo watched as a gold and brown blur appeared next to Rafiki's body. After long moments the frail form collapsed and the wind died.

A roll of thunder echoed through the Pridelands, followed by the anguished cries of a fishing eagle. Aujilo took to the sky despite the wind and rain and screeched his grief to the world, a call which was carried by the winds to all corners of the Pridelands.

Rafiki was now with the Great Kings.

Aujilo landed on a high branch of the Tree of Life, spreading his wings and throwing back his head. He chanted for the end of an era and a legend, praying to all the ancestors above that Rafiki would journey safely to his deserved rest and watch over these lands for his eternal life. And then, with a final screech, he bowed his head and folded his great wings. The wind stopped and the rain slowed to a drizzle, and the bird looked into the sky. In a spot clear of clouds he watched the birth of a new star in the midst of the stars of the Kings.

And, soon, this star was joined by another.


	18. Final Farewell

It's only been... Several months since the last update. Sorry, guys... Here's a shortish/badish chapter - wrapping up one of the loose ends.

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Arina had spent the entire ride in the jeep staring out the window, torn between joy and misery. Rose had slept on her shoulder most of the time, not noticing how near to tears her love was. After being disowned by Kovu but thrust back into her human form, Arina didn't know how to react. She had been in a state of shock since that confrontation, which her human family had assumed was exhaustion.

All in one stroke, she had lost her family but gained her love. Whatever happened now was no longer in the capable paws of her ancestors, but was in the hands of whatever gods Rose, Damien, and Da had. She could only hope they would care for her like Simba and the rest had.

The bumping of the jeep had dropped the still-sleeping Rose to Arina's lap, and the former princess rested an arm over her side. Her eyes were watching the darkening sky for the signs of the Kings of the Past, but they had yet to show. The sun still had power over the dry lands, and Arina doubted that she would see the mighty spirits before they migrated back to... What was it? Neork?

When they came to where the metal bird... Airplane, Rose had called it... was, the stars had yet to show. Arina was nervous about leaving without seeing the Kings for the final time, but Da rushed her out of the jeep. He was talking about a storm that was coming, and the faster they packed and left the better off they'd be. Arina stared at him then slid out gently from Rose, who grunted then sat up and called quietly, "Kimya?"

She crawled out of the jeep to find the girl staring off into space, her arms wrapped around her chest. Rose began to move to her, but Da called her away to help load the plane. "Give her a moment alone," he said quietly.

Arina heard it, and was grateful for it. Her eyes were filled with tears as she wished desperately for the Kings to grace her a final time, so she knew she would be safe as she left her home and her traditions and her past behind. She closed her eyes and wept quietly, Kovu's words burning into her brain. _I have no daughter_, he had spat at her. All because she had refused to go back and die in...

In her lands.

Rose's arms wrapped around her and held her close, and Arina managed to calm down but still trembled. She should have gone back - she owed it to her Pride to be besides them during times of trouble, no matter the risk to her life. She should have been with Maten and Kiara and Kovu...

A soft touch on her cheek snapped her attention back to her present situation, and as she turned to face Rose the moon sparked to life. Rose's face hovered close to Arina's, her pink eyes glowing in the silver light that played over her gentle face. Rose brushed their cheeks together and sighed, "I wish I knew why you were crying..."

Arina closed her eyes and felt warmth against her back - not Rose or Da or Damien, but something so familiar and welcome it almost caused her to cry again because she knew it would be the last time that she would be in the land where Simba's spirit roamed.

She breathed in the familiar scent of her grandfather, mingling with the sweet smell of her Rose. A voice murmured quietly in her head, _Go, my light. The Great Kings will follow their daughter. _The warmth only increased before it slowly faded, and Arina was left holding tightly to Rose as her eyes found the cluster of stars that belonged to her ancestors. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes before following Rose to the airplane. Before she climbed up the steps, she cast a final look across the dark lands.

Rose's voice called her inside the airplane, and Arina climbed into it. She was more sure of herself now that Simba had come; she felt safe leaving her... Their... The lands behind and venturing to new territory. She looked fondly to Rose, who in turn glanced to Damien and Da with a smile. Arina dropped her head on Rose's shoulder and her gaze found Simba's star one final time before her eyes closed, and the roar of the airplane starting up drowned out Da's next words to her, and again she drifted into sleep; a peaceful slumber disturbed not by a nightmare or a haunting memory, but by the weight of Rose's head as it rested on top of hers just after the great bird had taken to the sky.


	19. Life and Death

I never thought I'd come so close to finishing this story, but here I am a chapter or two from the end. It's been quite a trip. 

And Ochi, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your reviews. They were nothing short of amazing. I'm glad I could smuggle in a third fan of this long-winded tale.

I'm resubmitting this with some errors corrected.

* * *

A cold breeze drifted idly over Pride Rock, ruffling Winda's fur. The mottled lioness's brown eyes stared blankly across the lands as she listened to the dead silence of the Pridelands, a silence matched by that of her Pride. The lions and the land were both in mourning for their King and Queen.

It had been only two days since the battle on Pride Rock which had taken the lives of Kovu and Saga. Aujilo had tended to Maten's wounds, and the heir to the throne was slipping in and out of consciousness as life drifted past him. He hadn't even moved when he had been told that Kiara had died next to her king. Winda had watched the episode, and it had been truly heartbreaking.

The black and white lioness closed her eyes with a heavy sigh, bowing her head as another wind brushed over her fur.

_The broken daughter of Simba and Nala let off a scream as she watched Kovu land firmly on Saga's back. Maten was stumbling backwards, panting and reeling with exhaustion, as King fought with King. Kovu thought he was going down with his most hated enemy, but unknowingly he was being cheated of his prize. He forced Saga to the edge, hoping to simply push him off, but the golden lion surged back. Kovu felt the move, and knew what he must do to end it._

_He turned his blind eyes towards the sky and roared before suddenly jerking forwards with all the strength left in his body. The confused cry from Saga was the last sound the brown lion heard before the stones reached up to meet him._

_The Pride was still, until Maten collapsed with a grunt. A small group of lionesses were spurred into action and they rushed to help him, but Kiara's paws took her to the slope down Pride Rock. Winda followed her Queen, crouching behind a rock some distance away from her and watching._

_Kiara threw Saga's corpse off of Kovu's and sank her teeth into his scruff, pulling him off the rocks. Winda started to stand up and help, but Kiara had no problem pulling her love off of his deathbed. Kovu lay stretched out before the Great Kings, with only Kiara to stand over him. Her mind was wandering as a paw trailed softly over his drenched mane, and Winda could even see the tears in her eyes as she remembered everything they had been through._

_"Until death, we promised," the mottled lioness heard. Kiara's body gave a shudder. "Together forever, until death. If Zira's hatred could not part us, nothing in the world could. And come that day we would join the Great Kings together, and as one watch our daughter."_

_But it would not be... At least, not the promise of watching Arina flourish._

_Kiara nuzzled her way under Kovu's paw and rested her nose near his. Her broken voice whispered, "Until death..." one final time before her ruby eyes closed, and Death stole the breath and spirit from her body, granting her the vow she had made with Kovu under that starry sky so long ago - until death._

She had died of a broken heart - everything she had held dear was stolen from her, and instead of living longer to suffer through life without Kovu and Arina, she had let herself drift into her final peaceful sleep. The Pride was minutes late, and when they finally arrived they had found Kiara and Kovu in their final embrace.

Winda shivered, shaking the memory out of her mind. Her head raised to the sky as she heard a quiet whistle. The green majordomo of the Pridelands landed before the lioness and bowed quickly to her, his small voice gasping out as he spoke between breaths.

"Elata and her group have brought Kiara... And Kovu around the side... of Pride Rock, to a ca... Ve where they can be with us forever. Saga's body was thrown in the... Gorge."

Winda nodded slowly, turning her head towards the cave. She could see the outline of Maten's body where it lay. Aujilo hopped out of the cave and to her, his eyes still dull with grief. He had lost his mentor and his dear friends in the bloody day, and despite his training it was hard to keep himself calm while he tended to the wounded prince.

Aujilo breathed out quietly, "He will live. And when he is well enough, I shall name him as the King of Pride Rock."

The fishing eagle took to the sky with no further words, and the green messenger followed him. Winda watched them until they were mere specks on the horizon before she padded slowly down the slope of Pride Rock to the flat stone she fondly called the Queen's Stone. She crawled onto it and curled up tightly, closing her brown eyes as a tear rolled down her furred cheek.

_"Winda, why haven't you run yet?"_

_"Why should I?... I have you."_


	20. New Reign

Righto, here's a bit of a long one. I was going to end it with this chapter, but I want to take it a little futher into Maten's rule to fully establish his as a wicked reign. So don't worry, we're not quite done yet!

* * *

The driving rain pummeled into the fur of the mottled lioness, but her brown eyes remained stubbornly open as she watched the herd closely. The pale hunting mistress had yet to signal which animal the hunters were to take down, but they all knew – at the outskirts was a rather decent sized adult, but his hind leg was bending awkwardly under his weight, as if he had broken it.

Such broken limbs were often fatal.

The lionesses geared themselves for the chase, tensing tighter as Elata's tail gave a flick from somewhere in the tall grasses – a thin, blonde tail brush shot up and waved then went down. Winda kneaded the ground with her claws, her heart racing as she watched the adult. His nervous scent wrapped around her nose, and she shuddered softly. The poor beast had no idea that his suffering would be over sooner than he thought.

The sky cracked with thunder and a lightning bolt shattered the dim earth, and it was now, in the midst of the chaos, that the lionesses surged forwards as one. The herd scattered, leaving behind not only the injured adult behind but several of the older ones also lagged. But the Pride was not interested in them – only in the largest and weakest one.

Elata shot up off the ground and landed squarely on his back, sinking her claws into his massive shoulders. Elata was clinging grimly to his neck, her front paws wrapped around him as if in a tender embrace. The rest of the Pride rushed along side him, nipping at his legs as he thrashed from side to side and tried simultaneously to shake off his attackers and prevent the pale huntress' fangs from finding his windpipe.

A brown lioness leapt up next to Winda, balancing delicately on the beast's left side. He twisted towards her and bellowed before collapsing to his right and becoming buried in a whirl of fangs and claws. He continued to thrash, but the hunters were both numerous and strong enough to keep his legs from flailing too much. Elata and Winda found the windpipe and clamped down while closing their ears against the loud and frantic bellows of the male as he slowly succumbed to the darkness that overwhelmed him.

The hunters sat back and rested in the rain, allowing the cooling drops of water to ease life back into their exhausted muscles. Years ago they would have been laughing and talking together, but now a deathly hush whispered over the lands broken only by the occasional blast of thunder.

The lands had flourished, mostly due to two healthy rainy seasons in a row. Prey had never been more plentiful in known memory or story, and the Pride itself had nearly doubled in number. This was due in part to the birth of several litters, but mostly the influx of rogues passing from their own lands into the Pridelands. Maten had welcomed all the able-bodied adults and adolescents with open claws, but for the most part he had turned away the old, the sick, and the young.

Rolling thunder shook the hunters from their pensive states, and with a quiet command from Elata they picked up the huge brute and began to move him back towards Pride Rock. The rain continued to drive on, making progress difficult as they hauled the carcass through mud puddles which threatened to claim several ill-placed paws for their own. While Pride Rock was in sight, it would take no less than an hour of hauling to get the meal back home.

While the lionesses fought the elements, the King of Pride Rock was stretched out in the cave. His blue eyes were open, and a rare smile was on his face as he watched the future generation at play by the cave entrance.

Two separate lionesses had given him five healthy cubs, three male and two female. In addition to his offspring, a pregnant female he had admitted into the Pride had added her own son to the number and two more cubs had been allowed in with their parents. Eight was indeed a rare number, but the Pride took it as a sign.

Maten had already chosen his heir from his sons. The cub had a pale golden pelt and the beginnings of a light brown mane on his head. His eyes were the same cold blue as his father's. The cub carried himself around as if he were King already, and his disdain for the "commoners" and his treatment of them made his father proud. Maten had held his grudge against the Pride for allowing what had happened in the past to happen, and his Bakari's seemingly similar feelings certainly helped the young male become the Prince.

Maten stood suddenly and padded forwards. He stepped around the sparring cubs and out into the rain, moving out to the tip of Pride Rock. His sharp eyes caught sight of the returning patrol, and he snorted quietly. He opened his mouth to roar at them, but thought better of it and waited for them at the top of the slope. Bakari came out to join him, looking up at him before he turned his eyes out to the group too.

Elata's patrol fought up to Pride Rock, only to be faced by father and son wearing identical scowls. Elata's eyes trailed only briefly to her son before she looked up to the towering King, meeting his gaze as fearlessly as she could.

"The mud made it hard to…"

Maten narrowed his eyes dangerously, and the hunt mistress shied away from him. Ever since taking the throne, Maten had been consumed by his intense hatred for the Pride that had murdered his mother. His reign had been compared often to that of King Scar, but this brute had a flourishing Pridelands under his iron claws and what at one time had seemed an amazing amount of cubs. Healthy cubs, nonetheless. His Pride was strong and powerful, and he himself only grew stronger by the day. The Pride could only interpret the signs as approval from the Great Kings… Perhaps even their ancestors felt that his wicked reign was justified.

Maten moved forwards until he was nose to nose with Elata. Though the pale lioness had given him his heir and was, by all rights, the Queen, she held no importance to him. He kept her firmly in her place, and he had already poisoned her own son to do the same. The pain in the lioness' golden eyes as she faced the King was glazed over with fear as he growled out softly, "Try again, Elata. And don't wait until I die to bring it back this time."

With a furious burst of energy, Maten took the heavy beast in his jaws and carried it into the cave. Bakari's cold eyes bore into Elata's before he followed his father, who set the carcass in the middle of the floor and began to eat his fill. He allowed only Bakari to join him, and the other seven cubs were forced to sit and wait until King and Prince had eaten their fills.

Elata turned an apologetic gaze to her hunting party before they padded back out into the driving rain, forcing exhaustion and hunger to the back of their minds.

Before the day was through, the weary lionesses would bring back four more large animals. And between the ten of them, they would be forced to fight for scraps after the Pride members who hadn't disappointed the King would get their fill.


	21. Improper Burial

This may end up being one of the last two chapters, depending on how the one I'm writing goes. I apologize again for the break in updates - I started the Shakespeare camp again - last year I mentioned ( and Morph recalled ) Two Noble Kinsmen, and this year we did Twelfth Night - the inspiration for his first Rafiki's Tale, if my memory serves me correctly.

* * *

The morning after the storm was quiet and starting off well. The sun was rising over a thoroughly drenched but revitalized Pridelands, and birdsong echoed into the pink and orange horizon. The herds of the Pridelands slept contently in the warming rays of light that chased away both the cruel darkness of night and the memories of the weary lionesses that had been forced to butcher five beasts at the whim of King Maten.

The King was sitting at the tip of Pride Rock, his blue eyes focused out across the Pridelands on a point far in the horizon. Even though years had passed, he still remembered the exact spot where he had found Vitani's butchered body. The memory pained him, and it was in the few moments he was awake before the sun rose where the look in his eyes was weak and sad.

He turned his eyes away from the horizon and swept his suddenly changing gaze to Pride Rock. The causes of his agony were hidden in a cave here; a shrine was erected to the very lion that had cast him out and stolen from him everything he held dear, and the lioness who had sat by and watched it all happen. Maten's lips raised in a snarl.

He had unfinished business to attend to.

Elata was woken moments later by claws sinking cruelly into her muzzle. She tried to cry out, but Maten's large paw was clamping her jaw shut. His fierce blue eyes bore into her terrified golden ones, and when he tugged on her muzzle she scrambled silently to her paws. The words "Follow me" hissed faintly under the King's exhale before he released her and went outside. Elata followed, but on the way she nudged Winda awake. The mottled lioness missed the terrified look in Elata's eyes, but she watched the lead huntress pad out after the King.

Maten led Elata down the slope of Pride Rock and around to the back of it. When he assumed they were out of earshot, he turned a cool gaze to Elata. She recognized it; the King wore it often these days. He was planning something.

"Elata, where are Kiara and Kovu?"

The pale lioness caught her breath in her throat and stared at Maten. She shook her head slowly.

"M – Your highness, you can't…"

"Where are they?"

Elata remained stubborn until Maten's needle claws raked across her face. She suppressed a cry of pain and instead walked slowly towards the cave the lionesses from their reign considered sacred, and where they often went to feel safe.

Kiara and Kovu lay in the same embrace they had died in. Even after time and nature had melted flesh and muscle away, their bones remained. Maten stood at the mouth of the cave, his rage obvious by the way his body trembled as he looked upon the remains. He stalked forwards, snarling, and with one blow he shattered the slumber of the former King and Queen.

Elata's cry did come now, and Maten whirled on her. His roar echoed through the cave and out into the lands, shocking the Pride to their paws.

"Why did you do this!"

Elata was cowering at the entrance to the cave. She dared neither to move nor speak. No answer would placate Maten's rage. The King stared down at his should-be Queen, his snarl hovering within striking distance of her already bloody face. His blue eyes were like shards of ice stabbing into Elata's mind, probing her for the answers he needed.

"You knew I hated them both, and you kept them under my nose!"

Elata stared dumbly up at him, and he roared into her face again. The rest of the Pride had shown up now; the veterans from the previous reign stared with shock at the scene before them, while the newcomers and cubs were confused. Winda padded forwards slowly with another lioness, her jaw agape, but Maten's snarl kept them back from the shattered bones.

"We're going to move this garbage to the gorge."

A unified cry arouse from the lionesses, but only one – a white-furred female and old friend of Arina's – leapt forwards. She stood over the bones, and though her eyes were filled with terror she faced Maten boldly.

"You can't force us to do this, Maten. No lioness will shatter the sleep of a King and his…"

Maten snarled, his face twisting, and lashed out. He slammed his paw into the white face before him, his claws sinking into her fur. But he did not release her; instead, he took a stride towards the wall and threw the lioness against it. She twisted, as if to right herself, but the wall found her before she found the ground. She hit it with a sickening thud then fell limp to the ground, a thin line of blood from her mouth the only sign of her death.

One of the cubs gave a cry and rushed forwards. It was Mëa, a young lioness who had tan fur with white accents. Her eyes were a pale green with a splash of blue in the left one, which gave her the nickname Two-Tone. She nuzzled the still white neck, whimpering quietly.

Maten's lips raised in a snarl, but it was only the memory of finding his mother dead in the grass that kept him from mudering the cub too. The pain still haunted him, and he wanted her to suffer as he had.

They all had to suffer as he had.

Maten moved to the body and spat at Mëa to get her away. He bent down and took the lioness in his jaws, moving to the cave entrance. The Pride parted before him, watching with dumb horror as he simply tossed the dead body out onto the rocks and watched it roll down several yards before being stopped by a jutting rock. Winda stood protectively over Mëa as Maten met the Pride with his eyes.

"Let that serve as a warning to you all."

He moved back towrds the bones and stared down at them, narrowing his eyes before he picked up the skull of Kovu. Silence greeted this action, and he had to growl quietly before the lionesses slowly began to gather the bones of their beloved former leaders in their jaws and begin the long, painful trek towards the gorge.


	22. Fading Starlight

Darkness spread over the Pridelands, a blackness so thick not even the stars could break it. No moon was shining on this night, and the land lay in hopeless silence at the mercy of any demons that would come to find it. There was a constant breeze, which heralded the approach of another storm. A faint rumble of thunder disturbed the peace for only a second before the hush returned, surpressing all signs of life.

The throne of the Great Kings faced down on an unusually quiet and peaceful Pride Rock. Maten had collapsed early to take his first peaceful slumber, unhaunted by the images of Kovu's smug face eternally mocking him from his grave. Bakari had taken the place which had, for generations, been claimed by a queen, and the rightful queen was instead sitting outside, her pale gold fur light a light in the darkness.

She was on the Queen's Stone, sitting as tall as she could as she faced the darkness. Far in the distance, her eyes picked up a very quick lightening of the sky followed by another rolling thunder that passed over the statuesque being. Her soft brown eyes were shimmering with tears as her eyes turned up to the unforgiving skies. No clouds blocked out the stars, but they were not showing tonight... It was as if the Great Kings themselves were mourning over the day's events.

Between her paws was the tan and white Mëa, her two-toned eyes slightly hidden under drooping lids. Elata was proud of the cub; she had not cried about her mother's death. She had showed no weakness after Maten threw the body down the side of Pride Rock, leaving it to the scavengers. She had kept to Elata's side through the ordeal of moving the sacred remains to the gorge and the trek back home.

"You would have made a fine queen," Elata whispered, words that were borne quickly from her jaws to the four winds. She brushed her paw over Mëa's fur softly before her eyes turned out to the horizon again and she became like a stone once more, protecting the slumbering cub from whatever dangers the darkness would thrust upon her.

"I wish I could read the signs."

The soft voice snapped her out of her trance-like state what felt like hours later, but which was in reality only mere minutes. She searched for the source of the familiar voice and felt a flood of relief as Aujilo landed next to her, with Penrai not too far behind. The green majordomo had taken up residence in the Tree of Life, finding it better to avoid Maten's claws and to remain in safety. The gold-eyed fishing eagle enjoyed the company since the death of his mentor, and it was obvious that Penrai enjoyed both the safety and the companionship.

"The stars fading from the skies worries me, and the darkness is surely a warning of the times to come." Aujilo's voice was subdued as he gazed across the lands, his eyes dim. "It is going to be a dangerous time, my friend."

Elata nodded slowly, looking out across the lands again. "I'm ready for it," she said quietly. Aujilo looked out across the Pridelands as the pale lioness spoke more softly to him.

"Aranhi is dead, Aujilo..."

Elata gave him a soft look, and the shaman turned his knowing eyes to the cub. He had visioned the death, but hadn't been sure it was indeed Aranhi who had fallen to Maten's claws. He had witnessed the rest of the day's events, though, at the base of the gorge...

"Mëa?"

The cub was shaken gently awake and she stared up at Elata, but her eyes were unfocused. She was staring at a point beyond Elata... Something behind her. And as Elata noticed Aujilo and Penrai also staring, she got a sinking feeling in her chest and whipped around, expecting to be faced with cold blue eyes and claws. But her eyes were immediately drawn upwards to the sky, where a single star was shining above them. She locked her gaze on it, and she heard a familiar yet hushed cackle carried on the wind as it swirled around them. She felt a brief warmth spread through her body, almost like a rolling fire of hope and determination. She would survive, and so would the others. Maten may be a cruel leader, but Nala had lived through a drought with King Scar... There was suddenly no doubt in Elata's mind that she would be able to pull herself and her friends though this. As quickly as the young cub had noted the star it faded again, leaving the throne of the Great Kings cast over with the same thick hopelessness of darkness that shrouded the Pridelands.

She was suddenly aware that the space between her paws was no longer warm with the closeness of Mëa. The pale huntress watched with sad eyes as the tan and white cub padded softly after the departing form of Aujilo and Penrai. She almost stood up to follow, but sat down quickly. A sign from Rafiki, no doubt... She would be raised as a shamaness, a creature that even Maten would respect and even fear. A soft smile flashed briefly across Elata's muzzle as relief flooded through her body. The daughter of Aranhi would live, then... She would not be forced to bear Maten's claws.

The Circle of Life would continue.

But the smile faded as the three forms were swallowed by the darkness, and a face of stone emerged on the soft face as her gaze found the horizon once again. The flashes of lightning had long since faded into the distance, and the thunder was barely noticeable. The Pridelands were again submerged in the thick and black silence of an unguided and unguarded night, a night with no hope and no escape. Through it all the pale lioness sat, a soft flame in the midst of the black landscape, eyes trained on the horizon as she sought the faintest hints of the new day to break the tight hold of this eternal midnight.

* * *

I'm loathe to put the "Completed" mark on this... It's been a much longer and more involved process than I thought it would be when I began writing this, what, a year or more now? 

I know frowns upon long author's notes, ( at least last I heard, ) so I'm going to keep this short and simple... Thank you to all my readers and especially reviewes who have stayed by me over this year and have held out faith that this would eventually end. I don't think I'll write a sequel of any sort... Maybe one-shots to further give details of the reign of Maten, but I think a full-blown sequel would ruin what I have going for me - unless you would all like me to try one, in which case I'd be more than willing to give it a shot.

So again, thank you very much to everyone.


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